Valentine, Texas
by bjxmas
Summary: 1876 “God made all Men, Samuel Colt made them equal.” The West was inundated with vampires. It was the perfect place to kill and slaughter, cowboys died every day and no one really seemed to care, most were too concerned with staying alive themselves.
1. The Stranger

This story is set some time after Dead Man's Blood and Devil's Trap but there is no reference to what happened after the Impala's crash. Suffice it to say in my story they all survived, including the Impala and continued their hunts. From my pen to Kripke's ear!

This is a totally new kind of story for me and I don't know if it works or not. I think it does but what do I know, I could be delusional. Therefore feedback in the form of reviews or PMs is greatly appreciated. Don't be shy; let me know what you think!

Disclaimer: No I don't own the characters of Dean and Sam or have any connection to the show other than the fact that it holds me in its thrall. I am laying claim to all new characters I have created for this story, _wink, wink_. If Kripke would like to incorporate them into the show for an episode I would be thrilled to share them. LOL

I hope you enjoy my tale.

Chapter One – The Stranger

_"God made all Men, Samuel Colt made them equal."_

Texas 1876 

The sleepy, backwater town was in a frenzy preparing for the first official hanging of the year and all the excitement and revelry that would accompany it. Ranchers from the outlying spreads were coming into town to restock their supplies and partake in their only available entertainment for the foreseeable future. As the vendors set up their booths to hawk their mementos and souvenirs, a festive carnival atmosphere took over the town and the anticipation mounted.

The poor bastard preparing to swing had made a fatal mistake going up against the scion of the town. In small frontier towns like this the law belonged to whoever kept the town alive and in this town that would be the Carpenter family. They either owned the major businesses or they owned the proprietor of the business. Either way, they ran the town, including the sheriff, the judge and the undertaker. After the completion of this hanging, all three could expect a handsome bonus in their pay.

The prisoner sat in his cell contemplating where it all went to hell. It seemed like a normal little town, even the saloon was quiet on that Saturday night and they didn't even have a whorehouse, just a few working girls hanging around the saloon slinging drinks and offering extra services if the money was right.

Townsfolk all seemed pleasant enough although they were a bit tightlipped about the disappearances of the drifters who had wandered into town. Either they didn't see them or they conveniently forgot ever seeing them, either way he hadn't gotten any information from the lot of them. Just more questions that no one seemed able or interested in answering, that is anybody but him, a stranger who appeared in town and refused to leave without those answers.

His old friend Cain had disappeared in the vicinity of this town two weeks prior. He had been on a hunt and had indicated he was close; close to exposing the beast that walked like a man during the day but fed on the unaware under the cloak of darkness. Common belief was vampires were the stuff of campfire stories, used to initiate the greenhorns who came out West to conquer the wild and wooly frontier.

With all the real horrors of the unforgiving West, the idea of vampires really didn't seem too plausible. Yet the fact was the West was inundated with them. After all it was a perfect place to kill and slaughter, cowboys died every day and no one really seemed to care; most were too concerned with staying alive themselves.

He had gotten to town just as another two cowpokes disappeared and later their blood drained bodies mysteriously appeared behind the undertakers. The undertaker just seemed content to stuff them in a box and bury them down on boot hill in the indigent section. Strange how he didn't seem concerned about his cost. As a businessman one would think he would want to make a profit. Turns out that wasn't a problem, the Carpenter's took care of any bills he presented. Funny how altruistic the patriarch families of small towns can be.

If this stranger ever considered settling down again he wouldn't pick a sleepy, little town like Valentine, Texas. He had found out the hard way a town like this could be detrimental to one's health once they locked him up, rigged a quickie trial and sentenced him to hang before the week was over. Yeah, he had definitely seen better weeks.

The priest would be in tonight to hear his sins and offer him absolution and his final meal would be brought in by that little Mexican café he had never quite gotten around to trying. He hoped the food was good; it'd be a waste to not have a good meal the night before you die. Guess they can pile on the jalapenos and hot spices, might as well make it a night to remember.

He had been allowed just one visitor since his arrival at the jail, not that a wagonload of people had been trying to get in. His lone visitor was a local _waitress _from the saloon he had the pleasure of knowing briefly. Unfortunately, the sheriff had refused to actually allow her inside the cell but still it had been nice to see her pretty face again and have someone who seemed genuinely distressed he would be departing this world.

He had earlier left his belongings with her in her room at the saloon and now he gave her instructions that two items be held for his next of kin: a worn leather bound journal filled with pages of incomprehensible scrawlings and a Samuel Colt revolver in a wooden case with nine bullets. He said she would know his kin when she saw them, the family resemblance and all.

Aggie was her name and she reminded him of the only woman he had ever loved: the mother of his sons, the love of his life, his beloved Molly who had been murdered twenty years earlier by a demonic force that shattered his world and sent him on his deadly vendetta against all things evil. He was a hunter and he had come to this town to save the townsfolk from an unspeakable evil and instead they had turned on him and thrown in with evil itself. _Innocents_, guess in the untamed West there was no such thing.

Aggie had been the one true innocent he had found in this town. A young woman who had been forced to live a certain life just to survive but still maintained a purity of spirit that endeared her to the hardened hunter. Against all reason or common sense he had allowed himself to care for another woman for the first time since he lost his wife.

Somehow, she had managed to penetrate his protective wall of solitude and grief and enamor her way into his heart. He had barely seen it coming and there it was: a new love to mend his broken heart if only for the few days he was blessed to know her before fate would again deal him a crushing blow.

He had at long last found another true love, yet happiness was still to elude him for with his death their love would also perish and her hopes of another life with one man who truly loved her would never come to pass.

He hoped her allegiance to him wouldn't cause her any backlash in this sordid, little town once it was all over. He hoped when his kin arrived she would consent to leave with them to find a better, safer life elsewhere.

Aggie looked longingly into the eyes of the one man who had made her believe again. She had fallen for this stranger the moment she saw him and it wasn't just the ruggedly handsome features that distinguished his face and tall frame. Perhaps it was the sad, knowing look in his sparkling eyes or the dimples that defined his smile when he allowed the humor of a situation to override the serious demeanor of his face.

He possessed the weariness of a man who had battled long and hard for righteousness yet when he allowed his guard to drop he was the most charming man she had ever met. His eyes positively shone with an inner light and his gravelly voice sent shivers down her spine.

The finality of his plight left her shivering now from the cruel injustice of it all. Here was a good man who certainly did not deserve to die at the gallows come morning. The harshness of this bitter West was more overbearing on this long last day than even she could ever remember.


	2. Texas Rangers

Chapter Two

With the hanging taking place the next morning, the town was overflowing with gawkers and ghouls anticipating the morbid demise of this unfortunate bastard. One wouldn't think two more cowboys riding into town would create much interest but these two had a way of commanding attention.

They were both tall in the saddle and presented a charismatic and powerful aura; you knew at first glance they were men to be reckoned with. Even their horses seemed to prance as if to say they were important just because of the men who rode them.

They rode down the muddy main street and took in the lay of the town. They dismounted at the livery at the far end of town, boarded their horses, and proceeded back down the street toward the saloon.

The women of the town immediately noticed them and the way these women presented themselves changed as the attractive young men strolled the streets quietly tipping their hats to the women and girls whose hearts all seemed to flutter in unison. They were similarly handsome but each held a distinctive appeal. One, possibly the younger, was a good four inches taller than his counterpart which made him impossibly tall since the other was more than six foot himself.

They were more handsome than all the men these women had ever seen with strong chiseled jaws with just the slightest indent in their chins, bright, intense, hazel-green eyes that seemed to look into your very soul, and slight laugh lines around their soft, sensuous lips that indicated they truly reveled in life.

As if that wasn't enough to totally melt the hearts of the town's women they appeared to be in peak physical condition. They each possessed strong, broad shoulders and powerful chests that narrowed into trim hips and muscular legs that filled out their chaps to perfection. Yes, the women of Valentine, Texas had been sent their valentines from heaven itself.

The two young men in their early twenties appeared unaware of the effect their arrival in town had created as they swung through the saloon doors, strode up to the bar and ordered two beers to refresh them from their long ride. All heads in the saloon turned to announce the arrival of men of stature even though no one knew exactly who they were or why they had graced the town with their presence.

"So you here for the hanging?" The sheriff came up behind them and asked, his hand resting on the butt of his 45 slung across his hip.

"Well, actually we were gonna come see you Sheriff. We need to take a look at your prisoner." One answered with a friendly smile.

"Sorry, prisoner's not accepting visitors. You can see him tomorrow when he makes his walk to the gallows."

"Now see, that won't do. I'm Deke Taylor and this is my partner Scott Peabody, we're Texas Rangers and we need to see your prisoner now." Deke firmly stated as he pulled back the lapel on his dustcoat to reveal a bronze badge.

"What exactly are you looking for Ranger?" Sheriff Adams asked, trying to determine his next course of action. Mr. Carpenter sure wouldn't like these new players in town messing with his plans.

"Sheriff, we've had a hard ride and I could stand here answering all your questions but I don't have the time or inclination. We have jurisdiction so why don't we all just go along to the jail so we can see the prisoner?"

The sheriff decided caution would be in his best interest so he motioned them to follow, exited the saloon and crossed the street with the two Rangers following a few paces behind.

In a whisper the second Ranger spoke for the first time as he poked Deke in the back of his shoulder.

"Why'd you have to name me Peabody? What kind of stupid cover is that?" Scott complained.

"Hey bro, you just strike me as a Peabody. Settle down, this is working, just play along." Deke responded with a smirk.

Inside the jail the sheriff took the keys off his belt loop and unlocked the door leading to the cells in the back. The jail only had two cells with the first one empty and the second holding the doomed prisoner. He was lying on the cot with his eyes closed, just casually resting like he didn't realize today was the last full day he would see.

"Hey Jake. Stand up. You got company."

"Yeah, well I'm not much in the mood for gawkers. Leave me alone, I'm takin' a nap."

Deke spoke then as he loudly rattled the bars of the cell.

"Sheriff told you to get up you miserable excuse for a man. I want a look at you."

Jake opened his eyes and a slow grin crossed his face as he rose to face the young whippersnapper who had disturbed him.

"You got a big mouth there son. Didn't your pappy ever teach you about respectin' your elders?"

"Yeah, I think he might have mentioned that once or twice but I don't reckon I have to respect vermin like you now do I?" Deke replied with just a touch of sarcasm in his deep voice.

"Well Rangers you see what you need to see?" Sheriff Adams asked.

"Yeah Sheriff, I think we have. This here is Jake Winslow, a bank robber and murderer wanted by the Rangers. We'll be takin' him off your hands now." Deke replied with authority. "Don't fret now Jake, you're still gonna hang, just not tomorrow."

"Now wait a minute here boys, this town's been looking forward to this hangin'. You can't just come in here at the last minute and take my prisoner." The sheriff protested, sure old man Carpenter would have his hide if he let this culprit get away.

"Well like we said before, we have jurisdiction and the Rangers always get their man so you have no choice in the matter." Scott informed the sheriff.

"How do I know this is the man you're looking for? How do I know this isn't some kind of mistake? Besides if they want to hang him just let us do it tomorrow and it'll be done with."

Deke pulled out a wanted poster with a rough sketch of Jake and the details of his crimes along with the price for his capture or death: $100, a respectable amount for the economy of the times.

"This proof enough for ya Sheriff? Hey, believe me if I had my druthers, I'd watch him swing tomorrow. Sure would save me the trouble of hauling his sorry ass back to Austin. Hell Jake, with the right incentive, I might be convinced to shoot you while trying to escape." Deke let out a short burst of laughter as a smile again crossed his handsome face.

"Deke, I don't think that's funny. We're sworn to protect and serve the good citizens of Texas and we follow the letter of the law. You hear me Ranger?" Scott scolded his partner.

"Damn Scott, where's your sense of humor? Just warning the prisoner against trying anything is all." Deke turned and gave a slight wink to the sheriff.

"Well Sheriff, looks like we'll be leaving come first light with our prisoner. You keep him all nice and safe, ya hear?" Scott warned the sheriff.

"Sheriff, Jake have a horse?" Deke inquired.

"Yeah, we were gonna sell it to pay for the burial but it's still down at the livery."

"Well Scott, why don't you go on down to the livery and check it out. Make sure we can get all the horses and leave bright and early come morning. I'll meet up with you later at the hotel." Deke commanded.

"Yeah, I'll want to turn in early if we're gonna leave first light." Scott replied as he headed out the jailhouse door.

"Yeah, you do that." Deke muttered before turning to the sheriff. "Hell, I don't know how I ever got stuck with that prick. He wouldn't know how to have a good time if it came up and bit him. So Sheriff, can I buy you a drink at the saloon?" Deke was in the mood for some partying and he wasn't gonna let a little thing like a job or responsibility get in his way.

"Don't mind if I do. I'd like to find out a little more about this Ranger thing. How much you Rangers get paid nowadays?" Sheriff Adams appeared jovially friendly as he locked up the jail and walked down the street towards the saloon with his new compadre.


	3. Execution Day

**Thank you to all who have so kindly reviewed. Reviews make the writing so much easier. It is grand to have your efforts appreciated. **

Chapter Three – Execution Day

Leaving town at daybreak seemed like the smart move with every passing minute as the few souls up and about didn't appear too keen on seeing their entertainment mount up and ride away. Deke appeared a little under the weather from his late night drinking and carousing so he let Scott fill out the paperwork and escort the prisoner out of the jail.

They bid the sheriff farewell and slowly walked their horses out of town past the somber, lonely gallows whose existence was now just a sad reminder of what could have been.

They were only a few miles outside of town when Deke pulled up his horse and said she seemed lame. He got down to examine the hoof his sleek, black mare was favoring and called Scott over to consult on her condition. As their attention was focused on Deke's precious mare, Jake spurred his own horse and broke away. Deke deftly pulled out his colt and fired one deadly shot hitting Jake in the back, causing him to fall from his horse dead as expected on his execution day.

"Sorry Jake, guess today was your day to die." Deke smirked as he examined his handiwork.

"Deke this seems a little too convenient. You plan this?" Scott accused.

"Now Scott, think a minute. How exactly could I plan this?" Deke responded, even though he knew a desperate man like Jake would most definitely take an opportunity like he had provided and try his luck. Yeah, things were working out pretty good for ol' Deke.

"Well, we still have to take the body back to Austin to log in with headquarters." Scott stated the obvious.

"Yeah, I think you can handle that little matter. Why don't you run along and do that and then meet me back here later? I think I saw some possible nefarious activity going on in our sleepy, little town. I think I better hang around and check it out." Deke decided.

They slung Jake's body across his saddle and Scott took the reins of his horse to lead him as he returned to Austin. Deke's mare Blaze seemed to have only temporarily picked up a stone in her hoof and now was miraculously walking just fine, which was a good thing cause Deke was really attached to his baby. The Rangers parted ways and Deke smiled a quiet, victorious smile as he headed back to town.

As he entered the town he observed a mob of angry people robbed of their spectacle and looking for any fracas to provide their much anticipated entertainment. Deke rode past them and headed straight for the jail and a reunion with his new friend, Sheriff Adams.

"Sheriff, been a long time." Deke laughed as he entered the sheriff's office and jail. "I came to collect my money."

"So, Jake's dead?"

"Yep."

"Did you bring me any proof?"

"Come on Sheriff. You don't need any proof. Your man saw the whole thing go down and I reckon he got back to town and reported well over an hour ago." Deke sat down and put his boots up on the sheriff's desk and stared intently at the coy sheriff.

"Yeah, it went down just like we agreed. You did Mr. Carpenter a favor and he is always very generous with his friends. Here you go." The sheriff reached into the middle drawer of his desk and pulled out an envelope that he handed to Deke.

Deke smiled and placed the envelope in his inside breast pocket and got up to leave.

"Maybe you better count that." The sheriff suggested.

"What? You telling me I can't trust you Sheriff? You're a lawman." Deke grinned and chuckled as he headed out the door.

It was just past noon but his throat was parched nonetheless so he headed on over to the saloon for some liquid sustenance. The place was brimming with business, which wasn't surprising considering the entertainment had been cancelled and all these people were all dressed up with no place to go.

He took up his position at the end of the bar facing the doorway so he could monitor any comings and goings and proceeded to check out the barmaids, deciding which one would be the lucky girl to have his boots under her bed. After considering all his options, he settled on a young, pretty, sweet-faced girl with flowing yellow locks that fell in loose waves almost to her waist.

Her pure milky-white skin and innocent demeanor was just what a lonesome cowpoke needed on a sad day like today. After all, it wasn't everyday he had to reconcile himself to taking another man's life. Yeah, he was definitely gonna need some tender loving care.

Unfortunately, he had the bitter task of turning down the three attractive girls who approached him and offered their services at very reasonable rates. Somehow, he always seemed to get a discounted rate. He supposed they knew quality when they saw it. Hell, they ought to pay him for the pleasure of his company, but then again he really didn't want to go there.

No, he really didn't mind paying; it kept things on a more professional level. No angry fathers, shot gun weddings or disgraced pastor's daughters for him. He really wasn't looking to ruin any young girl's life; these girls knew the score which ensured no scenes in the morning or dreams of wedded bliss cause in his line of work he wouldn't be settling down anytime soon; still, a man has his needs.

He watched his chosen companion move through the saloon offering drinks but avoiding the rooms upstairs. She seemed sad and distracted as if she was just going through the motions and would rather be elsewhere. He decided if she wasn't gonna come to him, he would just have to make the first move.

"Hey, can I buy you a drink?" He sweetly asked her.

"Sure." She sat down at the table they were standing by and the barkeep came over with two new beers.

Deke sat down and looked into a pair of sad, brown eyes on the verge of crying. She was making a valiant effort to remain strong but he could tell she was almost at her breaking point, regardless of how brave she was trying to be.

"Hey, what's the matter? Am I that bad to share a drink with? Can't bear to be seen with such an ugly bastard?" He tried to get a smile out of her, even at his own expense.

She looked up at him and a faint smile tried to come out but was again suppressed by an overwhelming sadness.

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have come to work today, but I didn't know what else to do. I need the money." She gently explained. She had the sweetest voice to go along with her innocent look.

Deke did his best to impress her with his charm and charisma, which could overflow whenever he ceased being the jerk he was also known for being. His gentlemanly ways won her over and she finally consented to retreat with him to her room.

Once they were alone he asked her the question that had been on his mind the entire time since he first eyed her.

"So, you familiar with that Jake fella they were gonna hang this morning?"

"Why are you asking?"

"Well, he had some possessions that I need." Deke was walking around her room looking for where those items might be stashed. He hadn't told his new friend the sheriff about these particular items, but he knew Jake had them and word was he was friendly with this girl and if anyone knew where they were, she would.

"What's your name?" She tentatively asked, wondering if maybe this was the kin Jake had spoke of.

"First, why don't you tell me your name." He replied.

"My name is Aggie."

"Huh, where's that come from? Short for something?"

She almost smiled as embarrassment crossed her face.

"Short for Agatha. Sorry, I hate that name."

"Hey, Aggie is cute. I like it. My name's Deke."

The expression in her eyes quickly changed from sadness to fury and her face showed all the anger and hurt she had been trying to suppress. She had been spared witnessing her beloved Jake swing from the gallows, but the word had already spread around town that the Ranger Deke Taylor had enacted justice on the man and he was shot dead trying to escape that very morning. She stepped forward and pounded his chest with her fists.

"You're the one who killed him. You shot my Jake." She cried out in anguish, as tears of anger and grief overflowed her defenses and rolled down her tender cheeks.

**Remember reviews make the world go round, and help with the writing! Thanks!**


	4. Role to Play

Chapter Four – Role to Play

Deke strolled out of the saloon carrying saddle bags with the leather journal safely tucked in one side and the Colt pistol in its wooden case secured in the other. Mission accomplished. Too bad about Aggie, she sure seemed like a nice girl. Just the kind of girl he would have gone for, if not for the special circumstances that made any relationship with her an impossibility.

Oh well, he really didn't have time for recreation now anyway. He had work to do and his job always came first because, regardless of what his brother thought, he was a professional.

He mounted up and rode out just as the sun was setting. An hour outside of town he spotted a distant campfire and headed towards it. As he approached he saw a figure stooped by the fire warming a pot of coffee unaware he was about to receive company.

He dismounted, stealthily crept up behind the figure and was almost upon him when his boot slipped on a rock, and the man turned with the fastest draw he had ever seen. He threw up his hands as he stood staring down the barrel of a 45.

"Kid, you ready to meet your maker?" The man asked.

"No sir. Just thought maybe I could get me some of that coffee." Deke offered, flashing a nervous smile and trying to muster all his charm.

"You know, out here a man has the right to shoot you for sneaking up on him like that. You wanna live to thirty you better announce yourself when you ride into someone's camp." The older man advised.

"Look no disrespect. You mind holstering that there gun?" Deke looked vaguely concerned about his predicament.

After the longest moment the man grinned, and as quickly as he had drawn his weapon he reversed and his gun slid effortlessly back into his holster.

"Son, one of these days my reflexes aren't going to be so good and I'm gonna end up shootin' you before I realize it's just my damn reckless son. Did you see Aggie and get my things?" Jake asked.

"Yeah, here you go." Deke swung the saddlebags over to his dad and squatted down to get some coffee.

"She doing all right?" Jake asked, obvious concern showing on his face.

"Well, she was real broken up over your unfortunate demise and mad as hell that I was the one to kill you. Man, that girl can throw a punch, but yeah, she's doing all right now that she knows you're not dead."

"So did I hear right? A girl was beating you up? You're slipping there bro." Scott came into camp and could barely contain his amusement at his brother's admission.

"I didn't say she was beating me up. I said the girl was angry and she kinda hits when she gets angry, which is something Dad ought to keep in mind if he plans to continue seeing her. That's all I said." Deke hoped his explanation would get his brother off his back, but somehow he doubted it. Scott only lived to kill evil and torment his older brother.

"By the way, how come you only made me worth $100 on my wanted poster? I should be worth more to you boys. Why the discount rate?" Jake demanded.

"Come on now Dad. Don't go getting all pernickety. You don't really want someone tryin' to collect on one of our phony posters do you? You give 'em enough incentive and the good citizens of Podunk might just try to off you and collect. Of course, they'd be sorely disappointed to find out you weren't worth two bits, dead or alive." Deke responded with a wicked grin.

"Hey Dad, don't worry. You're worth a whole lot more to us. In fact, one might say you were priceless." Scott brown-nosed with a smile and a nod towards his brother.

"Dad don't listen to him. He's only trying to smoke your ass so he can have your horse if you end up on boot hill." Deke smirked.

"So Deke are you in Carpenter's circle of corrupt officials now?" Jake asked with a grin.

"Yeah, sure am. I've been promised a permanent place on the payroll as long as I play along with old man Carpenter." Deke replied, smiling broadly.

Funny how his oldest always got to play the bad guy, Jake thought. He pondered if Deke was the better actor or whether he really did possess a darker soul? Or could it be he was just more painfully aware of the evil that existed in the world and could more readily tap into it? After all, he was old enough to remember his mom and her terrible death at the hands of evil incarnate.

Scott had only been a baby; just six months old when evil visited their family to enact its terrible wrath upon the Winchesters. The normal life they had lived ended that night, blown sky high by the fire that consumed their modest homestead and sent them on their mission of vengeance.

"So Dad, what's the plan?" Scott asked hoping for once Jake would consent to actually explaining his grand plan instead of just barking orders to his sons. He still bristled at how his dad treated them like children and not the full grown men they were. As imposing as Deke appeared to the outside world, he had an annoying habit of relinquishing command of their hunting to Dad which totally pissed off his brother.

Deke studied his younger brother and sighed. _Here we go again. We're not back riding with Dad for more than a day and Scotty is raising a ruckus again. Can't he just follow orders and shut up about it?_

Deke had worked with Jake long enough to know how this was all gonna play out. They were gonna rescue any prisoners still alive in the vampire's den, kill all the evil vampires and ride off into the sunset after rescuing the pretty damsel in distress, the dear, sweet Aggie. Damn, why did his brother have to complicate everything with his bellyaching?

Jake poured himself another cup of coffee and consented to explain all the intricacies of their plan to his impatient, brooding younger son. Deke just rolled his eyes at the pains his dad took to involve Scott in the process.

"Damn Scott. You think you can handle your part in this?" Deke asked with a twinkle in his eye, after all he had the hard part, the dangerous role to play. He got to walk right into their den: alone, unprotected and expose himself to their wrath and vengeance.

**Reviews please. Thank you. Sorry this took so long to post. I've been trying for four days, computer and server problems.**


	5. Dean and Sam 2006

Chapter Five – Dean and Sam

Texas 2006

Sam muttered something about a horse and a posse, and then he yelled to watch out.

The vast expanse of Texas was stretched out before the Impala, as Dean took his hand off the wheel, reached his right arm over and shook his brother, waking him from whatever new dream had possessed him after he fell asleep riding shotgun.

"Dude, you OK?" Dean asked, not knowing if this was your regulation normal dream or a psychic shining vision that would send them off on another supernatural adventure. If a horse and posse were involved he kinda figured it must be the former, but then again stranger things had happened; starting with the realization his kid brother was a psychic wonder.

"Wow." Was all Sam uttered.

"Wow? That's it man? You're yelling to watch out and all you have to say is wow?"

"That was so weird."

Sam could be really annoying when he withheld information like this. It really drove his brother crazy.

"OK Freud, so tell me your dream and then tell me what it all means." Dean prodded.

"Dean, I don't know what it means. It was just so weird." Sam offered again.

Dean was becoming increasingly irritated with this round about conversation.

"Just spit it out dude!"

"Dean, have you ever rode a horse?"

"What? What kind of question is that?"

"Wouldya just answer. Have you ever rode a horse?" Sam repeated.

"Well once, when I was four, I rode the mechanical horse down at the supermarket. Damn thing almost bucked me off." Dean grinned, obviously figuring this was most definitely the former type of dream, the freaky abstract kind that just means you need to get in touch with your inner child.

"No, a real horse." Sam insisted.

"No Sam. I have never rode a real horse." He paused for effect before adding, "Or a fake horse for that matter. I always wanted to be a cowboy though when I grew up." Dean laughed again, gaining whatever pleasure he could from his brother's absurd question.

"Well, you were riding a horse in my dream. A sleek, black horse and you were galloping at full tilt and there was a posse chasing you. You were headed straight for a cliff and I thought for sure you would go over." Sam finally explained.

"Well Sammy, it seems like it's just a normal, freaky dream that don't mean squat. After all, I ain't gonna be saddling up any time soon to take a ride out in front of a posse. I think we're pretty safe in betting this ain't a premonition, so just forget about it." Dean smirked again, thinking how weird his brother was acting over this obviously insignificant dream.

"Maybe the horse is a metaphor. Maybe it's really the Impala. I don't know Dean; this didn't feel like a regular dream. It felt like a vision. It felt real."

"Right, and the posse is the long arm of the law coming to arrest me for credit card fraud." Dean sounded very serious before he continued, cracking up, "Oh Sammy, we better run for the hills. Marshall Dillon's after me!"

"Dean, cut it out."

"OK, I'm forewarned, the posse is coming for me and watch out for the cliff!" Dean mocked his kid brother.

"Dean this is serious. I have a very bad feeling about this." Sam looked confused and worried.

"Hey, I'm bettin' it's just cause we're in Texas. We better limit the number of Texas long necks you drink. Those two back there must have played a trick on your brain. Got you feeling like a Wild West outlaw or something!" Dean laughed.

"Maybe." Sam seemed to be contemplating all the possible ramifications of his unsettling dream. He knew something was happening with this dream, and it wasn't because of the two beers he'd drunk. Settling into his melancholy state, he eased back into his seat and stared out into the vast expanse of nothing.

After several minutes of meditation Sam finally broke the silence between them, "So where are we? Where we gonna stop for the night?"

"Well, I'm thinkin' when you're in Texas, the home of the Texas longhorn you should partake of the local cuisine. I thought we'd stop early enough to get a good old-fashioned steak and fixin's. We'll be coming up on a little town called Valentine in a couple hours and we might as well stop for the night."

"There is actually a town called Valentine, Texas?" Sam wondered.

"Yeah, they advertise they're the home of romance! Think we'll come across any fetching ladies to make our night memorable? Kinda a small town so I don't know how many prospects there are, but it should be interesting."

Samleaned back into his seat still pondering the possible significance of his disturbing dream. He just felt there was something more to it. Regardless of how his brother dismissed it, he knew it was important. He just couldn't begin to understand why and it irritated him that these dreams or visions could be so ambiguous. Damn, if he was going to have special powers than why the hell couldn't he conquer them, so at least he could actually take advantage of his gift?

Dean silently stole another glance at his brother. He knew Sam was frustrated with his uncertain abilities and he didn't know what more he could do to help him. He just had to keep him calm, keep the atmosphere light and breezy, and reassure his brother his freaky shinings weren't wiggin' out his older brother. He just wished he knew what these visions meant, and if they were a good or bad thing.

Two hours later they pulled into the sleepy, little town of Valentine, Texas. The town barely looked like it had moved into the twentieth century, let alone the twenty-first. At first glance, Dean thought maybe he should have stopped sooner, at a town that might actually have more than a few dozen occupants. Oh wait, maybe he had misjudged this town, there was the sign: Welcome to Valentine, Texas. The Home of Romance. Population: 387. Not exactly New York City, but hey maybe they'll have some real salsa!

It didn't take long to traverse the town; it was basically laid out in a straight line with old, but well-maintained wood buildings that proclaimed their purpose with colorfully painted wooden signs. There were a few random shops interspersed between the main businesses, which were the hotel, bank and saloon with an honest to goodness livery down at the opposite end of town. The main street wasn't even blacktop, it was packed clay and there were still hitching posts lining the street with at least four horses tied up.

Man, this was going to be weird. He made a u-turn at the end of town when it became apparent nothing existed past the livery except wide open range. He proceeded back to the hotel and pulled in front, wondering if they should go ahead and try out this backwater town or drive the extra hour to the next one.

"Let's get a room and check out the town." Sam broke into Dean's thoughts.

"You sure you want to spend the night in a town like _this?"_ Dean inquired.

"Most definitely."

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	6. Fracas

Chapter Six - Fracas

Deke smiled at his good fortune as he drew one card that filled out his straight. The pot was substantial and would nicely supplement his payoff from old man Carpenter. It was a good thing too, cause they had been scraping the bottom of the barrel before coming to this town.

Fighting the good fight against evil wasn't too profitable in these wild days. There was the occasional rare instance when an evil being had a wanted poster out on its normal façade they could collect on, but most of their money came from poker or the occasional odd job.

Most folks didn't want to believe evil that sinister existed and when faced with the reality, the most they could manage to muster for the vanquishers who saved them was a good hot meal and a hearty thank-you. There wasn't much money to be made in the West anyhow, but then again, they didn't do it for the money. The Winchesters did it for two reasons: revenge and justice.

It was their calling, their destiny. They embarked on this vendetta when evil came to them destroying their normal family life. Deke reflected on the course of his life, and lamented how different it would all be if they were still the homesteaders eking out a living on their small parcel of land and raising the horses he still dreamed of one day breeding.

Yeah, he had dreams of another life, but he knew it wasn't to be. He now knew evil existed on a grand scale, and there was no way to turn back the clock and pretend he could ever be anything other than a hunter of evil. His destiny was set the night he watched his mother die in that horrific fire that destroyed his family and cast his future.

His opponent threw in his hand and Deke pulled in the money that would have them set for the next month or so. Man, he sure loved the game of poker! His last remaining opponents gave up and left the table which left Deke alone with his winnings. Aggie smiled at him from the end of the bar and brought two beers over to share with him.

"Jake teach you to play poker?" She quietly asked.

"Jake taught me everything." He replied with a grin.

She smiled sweetly at him and wondered how she could ever have thought badly of him. Now that she knew he was Jake's son, she saw a dozen resemblances between them. The same sparkling eyes and quick grin, the same seductive, sensuous voice that melted her heart, and the same fire in their soul that burned from a deep, meaningful purpose in life. Yeah, Deke was most certainly cut from the same cloth as her Jake.

"Hey, you bastard. You took our entertainment away. You need to pay." The rowdy cowpoke cursed at Deke.

"Settle down now. Let's just talk about this." Deke reasoned.

Reason didn't factor into this cowpoke's actions, he was mad and gonna take it out on the only culprit he could find to vent his anger on. He knocked over the table Deke was sitting at and lunged forward with a nasty right hook which, unfortunately for him, missed as Deke effortlessly ducked. The cowpoke stumbled and landed face first on the floor, which only increased his hatred for this Ranger. He rose to his feet and again tried to connect with a left upper cut which was deflected by Deke's defensive block.

Deke hadn't started this fight, but he was more than willing to end it, as he connected with several well placed hits to the cowpoke's face and ribs. Deke was masterfully in control of this fight, until the cowpoke's buddies decided to join in the fray.

Five against one is hardly a fair fight in anyone's book. Deke got hit from behind and stumbled into another table that went crashing to the floor from the impact. He needn't worry about returning to his feet as two of the cowboys grabbed him from behind and pulled him up, holding him so their buddy could pummel his face and gut.

Blood filled his mouth and spilled out onto his fresh shirt. Man, don't they know how hard it is to get blood out of a shirt? And he only owned two shirts! Damn, they were gonna pay for this, as soon as he managed to get himself out of this mess.

He broke free of their hold, only to come across a new cowpoke ready with another blow to his face which reeled him around so the first opponent could again connect with several jabs to his ribs. He bowled over in sharp pain as the cowboys once again grabbed him to hold for another round of punches. He heard a single gunshot and looked up to see his good buddy Sheriff Adams waving the men aside.

"That's enough. You men better go on home or you can spend the night in jail." The sheriff warned.

They released their hold on Deke and he felt himself starting to stagger before Aggie stepped up and grabbed him by the waist and steadied his body against her own. He regained his balance and slowly walked over to the bar, leaning on Aggie as he went and raised his hand to the barkeep.

"Whiskey."

The barkeep put out a foggy shot glass and filled it half-way with whiskey. He turned to walk away as Deke grabbed his arm.

"Leave the bottle."

Deke released his hold on Aggie and steadied himself up against the bar as he slung back the shot. Blood spilled into his glass, but he ignored it as he took the bottle and poured another shot. He brought the second shot up to his lips, savoring the liquid fire. The liquor burned as it washed up against the cuts in his mouth but again he ignored it, swallowing the whiskey along with whatever blood still existed in his mouth.

"You alright there Deke?" Sheriff Adams asked.

"Never better." Deke lied.

"Aggie if you wanna help him up to your room, I'll send the doc over to stitch him up." The sheriff offered.

"Thanks Sheriff, I'll do that." Aggie whispered. She looked upon that handsome face with its multiple cuts and bruises and sighed again at the harshness of this town.

"Come on Deke, let's get you to bed." Aggie again placed her body against his to help him walk across the bar and up the long flight of stairs.

"Aggie, while I'd love to go to bed with you, somehow I don't think that's too proper." Deke joked in a whisper, trying to maintain any semblance of control he could over his fragile condition. He grabbed hold of his bottle and walked gingerly, leaning against Aggie's small, but steady frame.

When the doc arrived he found several cuts that needed stitched up and some cracked ribs to tightly wind his bandages around in an attempt to immobilize them. He poured some of Deke's whiskey over his cuts to ward off infection, and took a swig of the whiskey to steady his hands as he stitched.

Deke paid the doc with four bits and lay back down on sweet Aggie's bed to rest for the night. His head and ribs hurt like hell, but it wasn't the first or last time he would get his body thrashed. All in a days work, he mused.


	7. Meet the Carpenters

Chapter Seven – Meet the Carpenters

Deke's tired, battered body wanted nothing more than to remain safely snuggled in the warm, billowy comfort of Aggie's bed, but his mind was alert and he knew work dictated he rise from his rest and put their plan in motion. His ribs objected, as any movement caused intense shooting pains to course through his chest making even the simple act of breathing a formidable task, but he was no stranger to pain so with sheer grit he rose from the bed.

He had two more days before Scott could reappear in town, after having taken the outlaw Jake's body back to Austin and returning. He needed to gather as much information as he could in those two days and determine their best course of retribution on these nasty vampires.

Aggie brought him some coffee and he grabbed his bottle of whiskey and poured an ample supply in it to give him the fortitude he needed to face this day. Aggie smiled sweetly at him and he considered how fortunate his dad would be to have a woman such as her.

Too bad he wouldn't be able to settle down with her. He wondered if she realized that as much as Jake loved her, he was a hunter and the saddle was his home and there was no room for a permanent lady in his life. Deke considered how much he would like his dad to once again have that which had eluded him these last twenty years: a home and a life other than his vengeance. How he would truly be happy for his dad to have a woman like Aggie to love him and keep his bed warm on cold, lonely nights.

He bid Aggie good-bye and went down the stairs to find the saloon empty except for a few of the working girls quietly having their morning coffee and gossiping about the absence of good men in this town. Their eyes followed him as he descended the stairs, but they didn't make any effort to gain his attention or ply their charms, since it was apparent to all Aggie had already stolen his heart and had full access to his available cash.

Damn, why did she always rope in the good men? First Jake and now Deke, even though he was the one to kill her first love. Guess that girl is more hardened than any of them ever imagined, but her obviously fake innocent act sure could get the men to gravitate toward her.

Deke wandered on over to the jail to consult with the sheriff about having a face to face with old man Carpenter. He would only work for a man he had met and could judge the mettle of himself. Deke Taylor was no mere lackey; he demanded respect from all, including the men he worked with.

"Well actually Deke, I was gonna come talk to you about that. Mr. Carpenter was hoping you would come out to the ranch and meet with him over supper tonight. He also likes to get acquainted with his associates." The sheriff responded.

"Sounds good." Deke smiled, knowing full well how intently Carpenter planned on checking him out.

He returned to the saloon to await his supper date with Carpenter. This would give him more time to rest his weary body and get to know this sweet girl Aggie who had won his dad's heart. He returned to Aggie's room and rested on her bed as she quietly told him her life story and how she had fallen for his dad. She had led a hard life and now she hoped for a new life with Jake. He didn't have the heart to tell her the simple truth; her dreams were not going to come true anytime soon. Best to just let her dream, after all, it was Jake's place to shatter her hopes, not his.

After a few hours resting, they went downstairs to the saloon and spent the early afternoon drinking beer and scouting out the rest of the townsfolk. Aggie sat with him at a table and filled him in on the notable persons of the town. She only knew of a handful of townsfolk who weren't in Carpenter's pocket, and most of those were too scared of him and his associates to ever stand up against him.

It appeared Deke and his family would be fighting this battle on their own. That was usually the case, but it always paid to be prepared and know your players. The worst scenario that could ever play out would be to depend on locals who didn't have the backbone to stand up in their own defense. Jake had found that out the hard way. If only he had confided in Aggie before he trusted in the townsfolk, he never would have made that date with the hangman.

Toward sunset Deke left Aggie and rode out to the Carpenter spread, arriving at their home just as the dinner bell was chiming for the ranch hands down at the bunkhouse. He counted fourteen cowboys that rode in to take their supper.

He strode up to the main house but before he could knock on the door it was opened by a strikingly beautiful, young, raven-haired woman. She offered a vibrant smile and reached out to grab his arm and escort him inside, announcing she was Lila Carpenter, daughter and social butterfly of the Carpenter patriarch.

The Carpenter house was the stateliest of homes in Valentine or the surrounding area with an old-world charm that could only be bought with the money of the rich. It was the largest house in the area and was extravagantly appointed with elegant furniture and gilded paintings of Carpenter and his family lining the interior walls.

While the home looked perfect, it felt sterile. There was no humanity present in this house, no soul. It looked like a home anyone would lust after, but Deke found it disturbingly empty and cold. Even Lila's attempt at warmth fell short and Deke found her to also be an empty shell, devoid of any real emotion or essence.

"Well, Mr. Deke Taylor I presume?" A tall, lean, grey-haired gentleman entered the room with his hand outstretched.

Deke reached out and shook the man's hand, a cold, bony hand with a firm grip that sent a cold chill down Deke's neck. All his hunter instincts told him this was the hand of evil. He put on his actor's face and warmly greeted his host.

"Yep, glad to meet you, Mr. Carpenter?"

"Yes, and I presume you have met my lovely daughter Lila?" The elegant gentleman inquired.

"Lila greeted me as I arrived. Lovely home you have here."

"Can I offer you a drink? I have the best bourbon from Europe. You must try it."

"Yeah, that would be great. So how long has your family been in this area?" Deke asked.

"We founded this area over fifty years ago. Built a nice little town, wouldn't you agree?"

"Sure is. I can see why you're so proud of it."

Carpenter handed Deke a hand-cut crystal tumbler with the expensive bourbon in it as he led his guest into the dining hall.

An extravagant table lay before them with the best crystal and dinnerware money could buy. Carpenter sat down at the head of the table and motioned for Deke to take the seat to his left with Lila next to him. One other place setting was on Carpenter's right and it didn't take long for its occupant to become known.

A large imposing man entered from the opposite side from where Deke entered and stood next to Carpenter dwarfing him next to his robust form.

"Deke, I'd like to introduce my foreman, Rance Mobley. Rance is my right-hand man, couldn't run this ranch without him. I'm sorry you won't be able to meet my son Luther. He's gone on business, won't be back for another month." Carpenter explained.

After a few minutes of small talk and sparring dialog designed to quickly ascertain the character of their guest, Carpenter motioned for the feast to begin. Deke had never seen as much food as the Carpenter's presented to their guest in course after course. The odd part was the Carpenters and Rance barely ate anything, instead picking at their food and moving it around on their plates until the server came and removed it. Deke observed the only course they actually ate was the extremely raw steak that filled their plates.

"So Deke why did you become a Texas Ranger and how long you been one?" Rance asked.

"Been with the Rangers coming up on two years now, and I guess you could say I joined cause I like the power. Nothin' beats being the man in charge, wouldn't you agree Mr. Carpenter?"

"Absolutely, a man after my own heart! Small men are content to just exist; it takes a real man to demand what he wants out of life." Carpenter agreed.

"I'll drink to that." Deke raised his bourbon glass up in a salute to Mr. Carpenter.

"You're a formidable man Deke. I think you'll fit in with my outfit just right."

"Well, Mr. Carpenter, I'm thinkin' you've got a mighty fine setup here. Glad to join in with you. I think we're gonna be great pardners." Deke responded.

Carpenter motioned to his servant to refill all the bourbon glasses and when his glass was full held it out in a toast.

"Here's to a very profitable business partnership."

Deke raised up his glass and smiled broadly, content he had secured his rightful place in Carpenter's inner circle.

"Why don't you go ahead and spend the night here with us? Rance can show you around in the morning, make sure you know how the operation runs." Carpenter decreed.

Deke truly had no desire to spend the night in this empty, sinister house surrounded by evil, but his job dictated he do precisely that.

"Thanks for the hospitality." Deke responded with a forced smile.

**Remember reviews are greatly appreciated. Thanks to the faithful who graciously leave reviews. Thanks to all for reading.**


	8. Interlude

Chapter Eight – Interlude

Lila showed Deke to a secluded, cozy bedroom that would be his retreat for the night. The look in her eyes made him increasingly uncomfortable, the look that said she liked what she saw and wanted it for herself. Normally the prospect of a beautiful, willing woman desiring him would be a welcome event in his life, but not now, and certainly not this creature. Still the job dictated he play along and act the part, so he smiled at her displaying all his charm and returning her interest with his sparkling eyes.

He tried his best to hide the nervousness that simmered in the pit of his stomach from having to spend the night so closely associated with evil, as he tenderly bid her goodnight. He sighed knowing he would get precious little rest and would be on edge all night waiting for evil to present itself.

He was hardly disappointed as the grandfather clock ticking away the minutes down the hall struck midnight and his door quietly opened. He felt cold, steely eyes observing his still form from the open doorway, and then instantly the being was beside him caressing his face. He opened his eyes to gaze into Lila's leering face, her mind picturing all the wicked things she could do with his body.

She yearned for the feel of his strong, muscular arms embracing her and moving her onto the highest level of heaven. He yearned for an escape from the worst fate evil could possibly impose and the image of her hastening his descent into hell.

"Lila, you lose your way in the night?" Deke wisecracked.

"Just checking if you needed anything. Your room satisfactory? I thought you might be lonely." Lila whispered.

"Me? I'm fine. The room's great. Got a big day tomorrow, guess we all better get some sleep."

"Is that what you really want to do? Sleep? I thought maybe we could find something else to occupy our time. Any ideas on that Deke?" Lila teased.

Deke raised up until he was sitting upright on the bed, Lila sitting beside him, pressing her body close to his, leaving no room to doubt what her intentions were for this tranquil night.

"Patience, Lila. I love your boldness, but I'm old-fashioned. I like to make the first move. You're everything a man could want, but in due time. When we get together it's going to be something special, something memorable, and it definitely won't be in your father's house." Deke gave her a look that filled her up with want and need, but also told her delaying her satisfaction would be so worth the wait.

"Promise me soon."

"Soon. Lila, no man could wait long for you. We'll be together soon enough." Deke caressed her arm and then she leaned in and kissed him. He struggled to maintain his composure as he felt the chilling essence of her overwhelm his senses, plunging him into the darkest depths of evil. Man, talk about taking one for the team!

"See you in the morning, Deke." She murmured as she slinked back through the doorway and was gone.

Deke shuddered involuntarily as he contemplated how long he could keep her at bay. They better get this plan moving and take out these evil vamps before he was forced to do something that….., well his mind really didn't want to go there.

Morning couldn't come soon enough as Deke awoke in a cold sweat in that sinister house. He had drifted off to sleep after Lila left him and had some nasty, weird dreams that he was sure emanated from the evil that infused this place. Dreams involving Lila, and those wicked things she wanted to do with him. He felt consumed with the evil of this place and he didn't like the feeling. The sooner he was rid of this place, this job, the better.

He went downstairs to find Lila waiting with an intimate breakfast for two. Her eyes never left him and he could feel her undressing him still and fulfilling her fantasies. Damn, even her thoughts made him shiver in disgust.

Rance was a welcome relief when he appeared to take Deke on that tour of Carpenter's operations. The main questions he needed answered he could never ask of the foreman, but he kept his eyes open trying to ascertain how many of the occupants of this ranch were vampires and where they would keep their den of hostages. All of the missing had not yet turned up at the undertakers, so they must be keeping them alive somewhere and bleeding them slowly, making their life's blood last.

After spending the morning in the throes of evil, Deke was relieved to be released from that hell and head out back to the relative safety of the town. Deke was just returning from the Carpenter ranch and heading over to the saloon when the stagecoach pulled up in front of the hotel and the most mesmerizing woman he had ever seen peered out to him from the stagecoach window.

She was dressed all in lilac with a large brimmed hat covering her face until she lifted her head and peered out shyly, locking eyes with the handsome cowboy and capturing his imagination. She smiled at him and he hurriedly stepped off the boardwalk and offered his hand to her as she stepped from the coach.

"Maam."

"Thank you kind Sir." She sweetly replied.

"Let me get your bags for you." He offered.

The driver of the stage threw down a tapestry satchel and a larger leather suitcase. Deke held the satchel between his arm and body and picked up the suitcase with the same hand, offering his free arm to the lovely lady to escort her into the hotel.

"My name is Deke Taylor. Welcome to Valentine."

"I'm pleased to meet you Mr. Deke Taylor. I'm Gabrielle."

The hotel clerk quickly took the bags from Deke and proceeded to greet the young lady, rudely stepping in front of Deke and ignoring the captivated cowboy. Oblivious to the clerk's bad behavior, Deke stood there grinning like a school boy, thoroughly taken in by this woman's charms. The clerk seemed annoyed he was still in the room as he motioned for her to sit on the settee by the door to rest from her long journey. Suddenly an older man breezed past Deke with his arms outstretched in a greeting.

"Gabrielle, you look wonderful. I'm so glad you made the trip safely."

"Uncle, so happy to be here. Lovely little town you live in." She warmly greeted him as they embraced.

"Well, it could be a lovely town." He replied.

Deke pondered what he meant by that, was he one of the dissident townsfolk? He suddenly felt like he was intruding into a quiet family reunion and decided it would be best to leave, hoping he could return later to see this Gabrielle again.

"Anyway, hope to see you around town." He finally uttered, receiving a tender smile from her before turning and leaving.

As handsome and confident as Deke was, respectable women sometimes had the effect of turning him into that shy school boy. He'd never had time to devote to a real relationship and had never revealed his true self to a woman.

In his life he had found it easier to just be the charming, handsome rogue who could bed a woman and leave in the morning with no remorse over failing to explain the scars on his body or exposing the wounds to his soul. He allowed the surface of his handsome features to be the only part of him accessible to the women he bedded. He had learned long ago to keep his shield up to protect his heart and tender soul._ Better to keep your distance, keep your secrets._

He headed on over to the saloon to meet up with Aggie again. She had begged him to take her out to see Jake and he had decided to grant her wish to help ease her mind. He needed to inform his dad and Scott what he had discovered out at the Carpenters and see if they had uncovered any more information.

He rented a horse at the livery and mounted up and headed out of town with Aggie for a secret meeting with his brother and dad.


	9. Secret Meeting

Chapter Nine – Secret Meeting

As Deke was settling in to his night at the Carpenter's house of evil, his family was preparing to bed down out in the woods. Jake kicked dirt over the fire to let it burn down for the night. No need advertising their whereabouts if evil was out and about, and no sense making it any easier for it. If evil was gonna find them it would regardless, but his hunter instincts told him to take all possible precautions.

It troubled him to be this far out of the fight. He never could abide standing idly by just watching, especially when his oldest was in the thick of things. The bitch was he was supposed to be dead and Scott was supposed to be on his way to Austin. Both of them had to keep a low profile or blow their whole operation sky high.

He had every confidence in Deke's abilities, after all he had taught him everything he knew and all evidence indicated this was his son's destiny. He knew Deke was a formidable hunter capable of handling himself in any situation, still he hated being in the rear of the battle instead of on the front lines.

He heard a noise to his left and quickly turned to see Scott coming back into camp after checking out the surrounding countryside. He could scout out the area as long as he made sure no one spotted him. If their true intentions were revealed, Deke would be in danger of exposure.

"Any activity out there?" Jake asked.

"Nope, looks quiet." Scott answered.

They settled in for the night and decided they would continue their explorations at first light. It was deathly still with no creatures creating sound and the countryside would have been pitch black, if not for the subtle illumination of a quarter moon which emitted just enough light so you could barely make out the tree line that surrounded their camp.

It was late and they were tired, so they quickly drifted off to sleep.

Jake awoke with a start as a presence hovering over him stirred him from his rest. He reached for his knife beneath his bedroll and stabbed at the figure which had come upon him in an instant.

The knife plunged into the chest of the intruder and when that failed to slow the man, he knew vampires were upon them. He shouted to Scott as he kicked the vamp throwing it over his head as he rolled to his feet.

As he battled his vampire he saw another fighting with his youngest and a third coming from the woods to join in the melee. He dropped his bowie knife and grabbed the machete that lay by his bedroll, and when his vamp raced back to attack him; he deftly swung the blade decapitating the beast and killing it instantly.

The third vamp was soon upon him and he felt his feet leaving the ground as the vamp lifted him up and shook him before throwing his body across camp, the machete flying from his grasp. The vamp roared its victory and slowly walked over to finish its work. Jake kicked the beast in the chest, only momentarily throwing it off balance before it proceeded onward, grabbing Jake once more in a death grip.

Scott had been tussling with his own vamp, engaging in hand to hand combat while the vamp's fangs hovered in a threat over his neck, inching closer to its sweet reward. He broke the vamp's hold on him and threw him off, scampering for his machete. The vamp grabbed him again and Scott shoved him off with a final thrust before swinging his blade and disposing of his nemesis with one swift blow.

Scott turned to his dad's rescue and as Jake fought the vise hold the third vamp held him in, Scott swung his blade in a backward arc parting the vamp's head from its shoulders.

"Dad, you all right?"

"Yeah, you?"

"Fine, where'd they come from?"

"Don't know. Just woke up to find one looking for a midnight snack."

They listened intently for the rustling of any other creatures, but no sound penetrated the deathly still of the night, save a hoot owl which was observing the scene and woefully calling out for companionship.

"Let's get a grave dug and dispose of these bodies. Then we better move camp, just in case they sent back word before they attacked." Jake instructed.

"If they did then Deke's cover is blown." Scott reminded his dad, as if his dad had not already assessed that possibility.

"I know. We'll come back in the morning and see if we can track them, see how many were here." Jake responded.

It took several hours to dig the grave and bury the bodies, and Jake prayed the entire time they had not sent back word he was still alive and Deke was pulling a scam on the town and Carpenter.

They gathered together their supplies and headed out under the cover of darkness to set up a new camp. By the time they bedded down for the night it was almost two in the morning and daylight would come soon enough.

They slept just 'til the first light of morning and quickly fixed breakfast and coffee before heading back to their old camp to check the surroundings and see if they needed to warn Deke of possible exposure.

Jake was an experienced tracker, and under the early morning sun he could tell only three intruders had come upon their camp and all three had met an untimely demise. Deke was safe from that danger, but Jake knew his son was still in danger from being so deeply immersed with evil.

They cleaned up the last remaining evidence of them ever being at that camp and headed back to their new camp to await Deke and the news he would bring.

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Deke and Aggie had a pleasant ride out of town. Aggie enjoyed being out in the country enjoying the fresh air, but mainly she was anticipating the long awaited reunion with her love. She knew he was alive, but she needed to see him with her own loving eyes and feel his touch before she could completely overcome her fears of losing him.

Deke just smiled at the joy that accompanied them on their journey. He knew his dad was probably as excited to see Aggie as she was to be reunited with him. Their family had seen too few happy times these last twenty years, and it bolstered his spirits to think his dad could actually have this moment of bliss.

Scott came upon them and greeted his brother.

"Scott, think I can't find the camp again." Deke joked.

"Well, considering we moved camp, I hope you can't track us back to our new camp." Scott replied.

"So what happened?"

"Three vamps attacked last night, didn't know right off if they were alone or if they sent word back."

"So? My cover blown?" Deke asked.

"Don't appear so. We killed the three and that's the only tracks Dad spotted. Only problem will be when they start wondering what happened to them, if they come looking for them."

"Well, I guess we better take care of things before they figure it out." Deke announced. "Anyways, Scott meet Aggie, Aggie my little brother, Scotty."

"It's Scott. Nice to meet you Aggie, Dad's been waiting for you. Camp's just over that hill."

The look in Jake's eyes when he spotted Aggie as they rode into camp was a look neither brother could remember seeing previously. He helped Aggie down from her horse and wrapped her in a welcoming hug, tenderly kissing her with the pent up love that had been too long denied. Both brothers just stood by nervously kicking at the dirt wondering when Dad would come up for air.

After an interminable wait, while Jake and Aggie got reacquainted, the Winchesters set about discussing their available information. Aggie chastised Jake for not trusting her with who he truly was and making that mistake that almost took him from her. She would have been able to steer him clear of relying on the wrong folk.

They covered their options and plotted their strategy and then Scott and Deke excused themselves, ostensibly to check out the remaining countryside.

Jake pulled Aggie into a tender embrace and reveled in the sweet aroma of her soft, smooth skin. He again felt the wonder of finally finding contentment after all those years of loneliness. She grinned at him with all the love she had held so dear to her heart, just hoping and praying that one day she would have a man such as him to bestow it on. She settled into his arms thankful that her hero had finally come to release her from her lonely life.

He grabbed up his bedroll and gently took her hand to lead her down by the calm of the babbling stream at the south end of their camp. Hidden by the trees surrounding the stream and embraced by the tranquility of the morning breeze, they once more found the pleasure that had released them from their desperate lives.

**I didn't plan on the romantic aspect of the story. That is just kind of happening; guess you can't deny true love! So what do you guys think: like, don't like? More action is coming and a little angst; sorry I just can't help myself. Next chapter is Dean and Sam. Reviews, please. What are you thinking? Thanks to IheartPadalecki, LoveJeter and pandora jazz for their continuing support.**


	10. Aggie's Friends 2006

Chapter Ten – Aggie's Friends

Texas 2006

Dean and Sam walked through the hotel's front door and back into the late 1800's. The entryway's walls were covered with old, delicate floral wallpaper and a red velvet covered settee with a matching chair sat under an ornate gilded mirror surrounded by old black and white photos in rustic frames. A round silver bell sat on the old-fashioned wooden counter next to an old guest register that was blank, except for three names written in an old faded cursive.

The brothers gave each other an apprehensive look before Sam stepped up and rang the bell.

"You sure about this?" Dean again asked wondering why, of all the possible towns they could have chosen to stop in, he had picked this particular one.

"Yeah." Sam responded with confidence.

A beautiful blond woman in her late twenties dressed in a print dress that reached the floor came through the curtains to the side of the counter and smiled a welcoming smile to the strangers. She paused when they turned and she first saw their faces, stunned for a moment before recovering her composure.

"Hello. Would you like a room?" She politely asked.

"Yeah, do you have a room with two doubles?" Sam asked.

"Actually all our rooms are quite small and only have one double bed, but I can give you two connecting rooms for the same price if you like."

"Yeah, that would be great." Sam responded.

"You don't seem too busy around here. How many guests do you have now?" Dean asked.

"Well, counting you two, that would make a total of two guests." She replied with a twinkle in her eye.

"Would you like rooms that face out to the main street or back into the alley?" She inquired.

"Main Street." Dean and Sam spoke in unison.

She turned the register around for them to sign in and looked inquisitively at their signatures.

"Winchester. Very unusual name. Any relation to the rifle?" She asked.

"Uh, not that we know of. Haven't really gotten into all that genealogy stuff though." Sam responded.

"You brothers?"

"Yeah, we are." Dean replied, wondering why she was so interested in them, yet dismissing it as small town curiosity. After all, they couldn't have too much to occupy their time and any diversion was probably welcome.

"You take MasterCard?" Dean asked.

"No. We just take cash but don't worry about that; you can pay when you check out." She replied as she handed them their room keys: old skeleton keys hung on a round ring of brass.

"So, is there a good place to get a steak around here?" Dean inquired.

"Well, the only place to get a steak would be the saloon. But their steaks are very good, so we don't need another choice." She answered with a smile. "Just tell them you're friends of Aggie and they'll take real good care of you."

"Oh, so you're Aggie?" Dean questioned.

"Me, oh no. My name is Gabrielle."

Dean waited for further elaboration, but she didn't appear ready to offer any more information. Dean was finding this whole conversation a little too weird for his taste, but then again this whole day was turning into one weird experience.

He finally went ahead and asked, "So, Aggie would be?"

"Aggie owns the town. We don't get many visitors but I'm sure she'll want to meet you, but enough about that. You better head on over to the saloon; they shut down the grill around eight."

Dean and Sam both looked at each other and simultaneously uttered. "Huh."

Sam was the first to breach the awkward silence as he motioned to the stairs that led up to their rooms.

"Well let's put away our bags and go get some grub."

"Grub? You becoming a cowboy by osmosis or something?" Dean laughed as he followed his brother up the narrow staircase.

Gabrielle was correct about the rooms, which were quite small yet quaint. The beds were comfortable, but they were shocked to discover no bathroom. They wandered down the hall to find a community bathroom with an old cast iron footed tub with antique fittings and toilet with an old-fashioned pull rope from the ceiling to facilitate flushing.

"Man, I hate camping." Dean cracked.

"Hey, look on the bright side, since we're the only guests it's almost like having a private bath." Sam observed.

"Great. Good observation, Pollyanna."

Sam rolled his eyes at his brother. "You know you could try being a little more positive there."

"Oh yeah? Well I'm positive I don't like wandering the halls looking for the toilet in the middle of the night. That positive enough for ya?"

They stowed their bags, locked their rooms and headed on over to the saloon.

Dean had seen his fair share of rustic watering holes, but in all his days he had never encountered a saloon as realistically old west as this. He half expected Wild Bill Hickok to be playing his last hand of poker at one of the tables over in the corner.

"Hey, didn't that fella, Wild Bill Hickok, get shot playing poker in a saloon?" Dean asked.

"Yeah, he did. Good thing you weren't around back in the Wild West, you probably would've been shot playing poker."

"Me? Nah, I'm too good to be shot in the back."

"You think Wild Bill wasn't good? They write books about him, haven't seen any Dean Winchester books lately." Sam smirked.

"Yeah! Well, I'm not dead yet. They only write books about dead guys."

"Well, if you find yourself sitting in on a poker game in a western saloon and you have two pair, aces and eights, I'd be looking behind you dude, or you might just be joining old Wild Bill."

Dean just grinned as they continued surveying the saloon.

From the sultry portrait of a naked woman seductively posed to reveal nothing but her shame that hung behind the bar, to the brass spittoons at the base of the long wooden bar scarred from years of abuse, this bar was an authentic Wild West relic.

Round wooden tables surrounded by wood chairs were spaced throughout the boot worn plank floor and were largely empty except for one table that held a poker game with five dusty cowboys and another that held two lovely waitresses.

"Think we've invaded a movie set or something? I can't wait for John Wayne to come through that door." Dean joked.

"Well, if John Wayne comes through that door I think we're in trouble, considering he's been dead for twenty-some years. But yeah, weird." Sam agreed.

"Yeah, I got that. So why exactly did you want to stay in this unique town?" Dean asked.

"Man, I don't know. Just a feeling, but this is definitely getting weirder every minute."

"Well psychic wonder, I'm hungry and if they can fix me up a steak, I reckon I'll eat it." Cowboy Dean laughed, utilizing his best Texan accent.

They sat down at a table and one of the girls rose to come see what they wanted.

"What can I do for you fellas?" She suggestively asked.

"Two beers, two steaks rare and all the fixin's." Dean replied giving her one of his most charming smiles. As she turned to walk away he muttered under his breath, "And I may have to get back to you on that other thing."

"Dean can we focus here? I think we have more pressing concerns than you scoring another one night stand."

"Hey, I'm just remembering why we stopped here. Remember it's the 'Home of Romance'. Hard to believe they can get away with advertising that, considering the lack of female companionship I've witnessed around here. Hell, I've only seen three women, of course that Gabrielle is a mighty fine looking woman."

"You better watch your step around her, I have the feeling she could keep you on your toes."

"Not exactly the picture I had in mind, but I can work with it." Dean grinned.

The waitress returned bringing their beers and a plate of warm tortillas with salsa.

"So is this real Texas salsa?" Dean asked exuding all his charm.

"No. It's that stuff in a jar from New York City." She quite seriously replied.

Sam just stared at his brother's startled face and then broke out laughing in that high pitched cackle of his.

"What? Come on now Sam." Dean kicked his brother under the table. The look of disappointment on his face was like a little boy at Christmas who had just opened a large, inviting package only to discover it was filled with socks and underwear. _Oh, man!_

"I'm sorry. I just had to see the look on your face. Yeah, that's real Texas salsa. We're authentic old West here." She smiled.

"Yeah, we noticed." Dean answered regaining his composure with a sly grin.

"Let me know if you need anything else." She smiled again and turned to leave.

"Hey, we forgot to tell you, we're friends of Aggie." Dean quickly stated.

"Really? Why didn't you say so sooner? I best go tell the cook." She replied.

"We didn't realize it would make that much of a difference." Sam added.

"Only the best for Aggie's friends." She turned and hurried back to the grill.

"So Einstein, what do you make of that?" Dean asked.

"Weird."

"Would you quit saying that? Come up with a new word wouldya?"

"Whatever."

"That's more like it. So why would she tell us to say we're Aggie's friends when we don't even know who the hell Aggie is, and she sure as hell don't know us?" Dean questioned.

"I don't know but somehow I think we'll be finding out. I just feel like this town wanted us to come here." Sam pondered.

"OK. That's it. Town's don't want people to come to them. Don't make this any weirder than it already is."

"I thought we were gonna use a new word?" Sam snickered.

"Well, what word explains the situation any better than weird? Man, this is just so freakin' weird!" Dean replied.

**Thanks for all the reviews. I really appreciate the support.**


	11. Disaster

Chapter Eleven - Disaster

Deke regretted having to separate Aggie from Dad to take her back to town, but they had to maintain appearances and Aggie couldn't just disappear and go camping in the woods.

The ride back to Valentine hardly held the excitement and anticipation of their previous ride, but still Aggie was thankful to have had those few precious moments with her love. Jake had assured her they would soon be together, once they obliterated these vampires.

Deke smiled as he remembered the love and passion he had witnessed between his dad and Aggie and it made him ponder his own possible future. A future he had never before considered. This lady Gabrielle had stirred feelings and dreams of a life he thought he would never possess. His dad's happiness made him reconsider whether he too could possibly have a real relationship with this amazing woman, whether he dare even hope.

Once in town, he helped Aggie down from her horse at the livery and escorted her down the boardwalk. As they passed the bank, there she was. Gabrielle had just exited the hotel and he felt his legs turn into worthless clamps that could possibly stay on a horse, but were loathe to actually moving and supporting his body.

Aggie immediately noticed the change in his demeanor and quickly ascertained what the problem was.

"Deke, I'm fine to get back to the saloon. Why don't you go talk to the young lady?"

"What?"

"The young lady there that you are staring at. Who is she?" She gently inquired.

"Her name is Gabrielle. She arrived this morning on the stage. Her uncle greeted her at the hotel."

"Oh, Mr. Elkin's niece. He owns the hotel. She's visiting from St. Louis. She certainly is a beautiful young lady. Go ahead, go talk with her, don't worry about me."

"Nah, she could do better than me. All I'd ever bring her is trouble."

"Deke, I'm surprised at you! Do you have any idea the quality of men out here, especially in this town? She would be the luckiest girl in the world if she had the opportunity to spend time with you. Believe me I know, now get your butt over there and talk to her!" Aggie pushed him gently.

"Aggie, I'm shocked at your language." Deke smiled. "You really think I stand a chance?"

"Deke, you are the second best man I've known in all the years I've been out west." She answered with conviction, a sweet smile crossing her face as she again gently nudged him towards Gabrielle.

"You mind letting Scott know that the next time you see him?" Deke teased as Aggie just smiled knowingly at him.

Deke squeezed her hand, leaned over and tenderly kissed her cheek before mustering his courage and taking the first, few hesitant steps toward the woman of his dreams.

As soon as Gabrielle saw him approaching, she started smiling in anticipation. There was just something about this cowboy and it went deep, beyond his obvious handsome appearance. He had appeared hesitant with her, almost shy, yet she sensed a gentleness and kindness in him and most importantly, she had felt a connection from the first words he uttered.

Once he saw her shyly smile at him all his confidence returned and he knew this was meant to be. A few awkward words later and they had made plans to meet in an hour for dinner at Rosa's Mexican Café.

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Gabrielle wasn't used to Mexican food and Deke took the opportunity to educate her on the different foods and flavors that awaited her. She certainly was not afraid to try something new. They got samples of all the different foods and she willingly tried everything, even the jalapenos that she quickly determined were way too hot for her taste.

Deke wondered why he had been hesitant, since the evening was turning into one of the most enjoyable of his life. They seemed to possess a connection that made the evening flow with a comfortable ease that defied the energy that pulsed whenever their eyes met.

The evening was turning into one of his most memorable, before disaster struck. He was wiping a small amount of salsa from Gabrielle's upper lip and was leaning in for their first kiss when he felt evil descend upon them.

"Deke, what the hell is going on here?" Lila demanded.

Deke froze as his world crumbled before his eyes. _Damn, this job._

"Lila, what are you doing in town?" Deke asked.

"What lover? Not expecting me outside of my big old house? Sorry lady, but I laid claim to him before you. Step aside if you know what's good for you."

Deke rose from his table and faced Lila, towering over her, smirking as he spoke.

"Lila, I told you before, I make the first move. Sorry, but I don't answer to you. Better get back home before Daddy comes looking. I'll see you later, on _my_ terms."

He gave Lila a look that informed her he wasn't backing down, and if she wanted any relationship with him she better be willing to let him make that first move.

Lila smiled, hiding her anger momentarily before quietly walked away with one last retort.

"Just remember Deke, I'm the one who knows how to please you. When you're done playing with the paper doll, come see a real woman."

Somehow, Deke had known all along he was asking for too much. His job always took precedence over his life, and this night had proved that in spades. He could hardly explain the situation to Gabrielle and he didn't have the heart to fabricate a lie.

"Sorry about that. She thinks we have a relationship, but I really just met her. A little possessive if you know what I mean."

"Oh, well….It's not like we were committed or anything, after all this is just a date,…. nothing more." She murmured trying, but failing, to hide her hurt and disappointment.

Deke struggled for something to say that would reverse the negative impact of Lila's appearance, but nothing seemed to be coming to him. The evening was ruined and his chance had vanished. They finished eating and he took her back to the hotel, the unsaid words hanging over them like a storm just waiting to let loose and pour down upon them.

The evening had ended way too early and he wasn't prepared to explain his failures and face Aggie's concern over him, so he decided to take a ride in the moonlight and clear his head. The fact was he needed fresh air to replace the stagnant feelings of disappointment that Lila's appearance had created.

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Lila was not one to play second fiddle to anyone, let alone another beautiful woman. She had already heard all the rumors about Deke and Aggie and then to see him courting another woman was more than her pride would allow.

The men back at the ranch had been complaining about the lack of female companionship and she decided she knew just how to appease them. Let's just see how Deke reacted when his two other loves disappeared, she determined.

She issued orders that Aggie and this Gabrielle be brought out to the ranch to join the other hostages in their den of torture.

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Deke rode around for several hours and decided to just bed down out in the woods rather than disturb Aggie with a late night appearance. The calm of the night gave him time to reevaluate his priorities and get his mind focused on the job at hand. The stakes were too high for him to be mired in confusion and regret. His family depended on him and he would never let them down. His job always came first, it had to.

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Aggie never saw her attackers or had a chance to defend herself. She was grabbed from behind, knocked out and silently carried down the back stairs of the saloon, out to the buckboard that already held the still form of the lovely Gabrielle. A tarp was thrown over the women and the buckboard rolled out of town.


	12. Capture

Chapter 12 - Capture

Deke was galloping full out and Blaze was giving her all for him as they raced across the range. He silently thanked his dad for bestowing such a magnificent animal to him on his sixteenth birthday, so many years ago. Blaze was the fastest horse he had ever seen and he needed every ounce of speed she possessed to escape this posse.

The sheriff and his posse of Carpenter's men had come out of nowhere to take pursuit of him. He knew his cover was blown as soon as they cut him off on the road to Carpenter's home. The sheriff had smiled and tried to draw Deke in, but he could tell by the intent look they all gave him that the posse was formed for one purpose and one purpose only, and that was Deke himself.

In an instant Blaze and he were running for their lives with the posse in hot pursuit. He had no clue what had blown his cover, he just knew waiting to find out would be a deadly mistake. He was blessed that not only was Blaze fast, she also had endurance.

She stretched out and ran with the wind, her mane blowing in loose waves as every muscle in her body tensed from the exhilaration of racing the devil. Blaze loved to run and it showed. Her nostrils quivered and she grunted softly as she spread out her long legs and showed the posse what she had. She easily put distance between him and his pursuers, as the feeble horses they rode didn't come close to her magnificence.

If he only had open range before him there was no way they could ever catch him. Unfortunately, he was unfamiliar with this land and was headed straight for a cliff. By the time he saw it he had few options to avoid it. It was a long expanse of cliff and he had no escape. He turned and was galloping along the cliff, but the posse knew the land and had spread out to cut him off. With guns drawn they blocked his way, giving him no choice but to pull Blaze up and surrender.

Rance had him dead to rights, his gun aimed at his chest. He bitterly told Deke to dismount and discard his own gun. Deke complied, cursing his bad luck. Rance strode up to him and stood seething before him, a look of complete and total hatred contorting his face before swinging his hard fist into Deke's jaw, knocking him to the ground.

"So Rance, tell me. We have a problem?" Deke needled as he returned to his feet.

Deke had never learned to keep his mouth shut. His dad always said he had the sense of a mule. Deke figured if they were gonna kill him, he might as well have his say. Deke Winchester didn't back down from anyone, whether they held all the power or not. It just wasn't in his nature.

Rance held complete contempt for this man who had infiltrated their operation and betrayed them. He loathed him and vowed he would pay for his treachery at some point in the most slow and painful manner he could imagine. Regretfully, as much as he hated Deke, his hands were momentarily hogtied, since Carpenter had decreed he was not to be killed. Still, his boss had failed to demand he not be damaged.

Rance took that oversight as a license to inflict pain and suffering. He took another swing at him, but this time Deke ducked and punched Rance in the stomach. The sheriff moved in to help, but was waved off by Rance.

"He's all mine. You men keep out of it." He declared.

"Well, you want me, here I am." Deke taunted, his fingers motioning the foreman to come on back for more.

Now the fact was Rance had at least forty pounds of muscle over Deke, but then again, Deke was quick and agile. A betting man might be torn over who was the safer bet, but with the backup Rance had, it seemed evident to Deke he was going down, regardless of what Rance had told the sheriff. Even if he won this fight, the posse was not going to let him go.

The final outcome really didn't matter though, cause Deke would savor taking Rance down a peg or two. He swung at him and connected with his smug face and Deke felt a certain satisfaction in wiping that stupid smirk off his face.

Rance responded with several hard jabs to his ribs, reinforcing the pain that had lingered since his saloon brawl, before Deke moved away again and connected his own jabs at Rance's ribs. They battled back and forth which each inflicting considerable damage before Deke connected on one final punch to Rance's ugly mug and he went down for the last time.

Deke stood confidently over the Carpenter's foreman reveling in his victory, until he got a stomach full of the sheriff's rifle butt.

"Deke, you sure know how to make enemies. I don't like being made a fool of." The sheriff informed him, as the rifle came crashing across the side of his face knocking him out cold.

Hours later Deke awoke in a dark, barn like structure, his arms tied tightly behind him around one of the support beams as he sat legs straight out on the floor of the structure. Coarse rope burned into his wrists as he tried to free himself. The pain of his bumps and bruises was of little concern at this point. His injuries were not life threatening, while his situation certainly could be.

He felt a cold breeze brush over him and he shivered as Lila approached, a sinister grin on her face and a frigid gaze to her eyes. He tensed involuntarily as evil came to claim him. He urgently pulled at his bindings, trying to loosen the tightness of the ropes, praying they would break free and there was some way out of his predicament.

Lila was dressed all in black: skintight, black riding pants and boots with a black shirt two sizes too small as the buttons strained from the pressure of her ample bosom. Some would consider her a mighty fetching vision, that is if you're into the whole hellcat from Hades look.

"Lover, I'm disappointed in you. I thought you were one of us." She intoned.

"No, not really. Not really into the whole blood sucking thing." He wisecracked, still twisting at his bindings with no success; the rope chafing his wrists, drawing blood as he struggled.

"Well don't worry, you will be." She whispered as her lips pursed seductively in a menacing smirk.

Deke's heart stopped when he considered her plans for him. Damn, why did he have to be so attractive to the opposite sex, especially the evil bloodsucking kind? He sure as hell didn't want to spend all eternity wrapped in her evil arms.

She knelt down over him, her legs straddling his, her face inches from his, leaning in, rubbing her cheek to his, exerting her dominance. She sat back on his legs watching, smiling. She stroked his face, gently touching his tender bruises, brushing down over his dazzling eyes, running her fingers through his hair, taking his handsome looks and claiming them as hers, hers alone, whispering,

"So pretty. So sensual. I've wanted you since I first saw you and I will have you."

"Not if I have anything to say about it bitch."

"Don't you see, Deke? You don't have a say. In case you haven't noticed, you're all tied up. It turns me on to see you like this, all trussed up, vulnerable, just waiting for me to take you." She smiled that chilling, confident smile that could tempt him to swear off women for all eternity, if only he could escape from her clutches.

She placed her hands on each side of his face holding him steady as she moved in and took his luscious lips into her mouth, caressing her tongue over him and tasting his essence. He felt like gagging, but her hands were tightly wrapped on him and he could barely breathe with her sucking on his mouth and savoring him.

She pulled back suddenly and before he could thank the heavens for releasing him from her torment, he saw her second set of teeth descend and she quickly sank them into his exposed neck.

_Damn, this was not good. _She took a long drag of his blood before she released her hold on him and sat back again on his legs with his blood still dripping from her mouth. Her tongue licked the last fresh drops from her face as sinister laughter rose from her lips.

His neck throbbed from the bite and burning flames shot out from the wound. His vision blurred for several seconds from the loss of blood and his mind raced as the peril he had descended into fully sank in. _Fuck! _She smiled at the anguish she saw him simmering in and relished the power she held over his future, his very existence.

"Don't worry lover, you'll be there soon enough. You think you don't want it, but once I give you the gift, you'll never know how you lived without it. You'll live forever and you'll have more power than you could ever imagine." She leaned in close, nibbling on his ear, twisting her tongue into the crevices and whispered, "We'll be together forever." Lila rose up and seductively backed away.

"Think about it lover. Join us or die. I know what you'll choose." Lila was chilling in her certainty.

"You might as well kill me now, cause I won't _ever_ be one of you." Deke declared.

"Yes you will. I want you and Daddy's little girl always gets what she wants." Lila gloated.


	13. Torture

Chapter Thirteen - Torture

As he sat bound and immobile on the floor of that creaky old barn, Deke spent his time stewing over his situation and how he could possibly have gotten himself mired in it. Damn, he had to think of a plan.

Rance came in to toy with him and he knew more bad events were headed his way.

"Hey, pretty boy. You think Lila's gonna save you from me? She gets so easily bored. You'll be her plaything for a while, but she'll tire of you and then you'll be all mine."

"Hey, I tell ya what. Why don't you go ahead and have your fun? Why should she always get first dibs? Be a man, Rance. Stand up for yourself." Deke taunted.

Rance slapped his smirking face, which stung but really wasn't what he had in mind.

"You a man, or a sissy boy? What the hell was that? You mad at me so you slap me? You can't do better than that?" Deke again tried to get Rance's dander up to the point that just maybe, he would lose control and fall for something stupid.

His meager plan was working as Rance started to untie him, ready to continue with his vengeance, unfortunately Lila walked in at that precise moment.

"Rance, don't go messin' with my man. Daddy won't be happy when I tell him you hurt my lover." Lila warned.

_Damn. This was not going to end well._

"What's up lover, looking for a new playmate? I'm not enough for you?" Lila teased.

"Well you know what they say Lila? Not really a one woman man. What can I say; I just feel a connection with Rance. Kindred souls or something." Deke grinned, knowing how he was getting under her skin, _better that then her getting under his._

"Rance finish untying him and get him on his feet. I feel like having some fun."

Rance smiled a wicked smile as he roughly grabbed Deke and pulled him to his feet. Deke's legs barely supported his weight from the numbness of being immobile for so long. It took a few minutes but as soon as he felt steady on his feet, he made his move.

He forced his shoulder into Rance's chest, knocking him off balance before swinging his fist into the foreman's startled face. Rance staggered back and Deke threw a kick into his chest, throwing him hard onto the floor. He quickly turned to face Lila but she was already upon him, wielding a solid block of wood that struck the back of his head knocking him out cold.

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As the room gently spun and he swayed with a motion that threatened to make him hurl, Deke woke up with his hands tied tightly over his aching head, hanging from a meat hook with his boots barely reaching the ground. _Damn, here we go again._

"Awake lover?"

"You know you really should come up with another pet name for me, cause you know what Lila? **It ain't gonna happen.** You're too much of a bitch. You just lost your chance." Deke taunted, again denying to himself that his words were only gonna make things worse.

"Oh really? We'll see about that. Regardless, I will have my fun." She calmly replied.

She slowly unbuttoned his shirt, opening it to reveal his well toned chest, firm muscles stretched and taut. She rubbed his chest slowly, in sensuous massaging circles, longingly gazing into his luminous eyes before returning her attention to his chest and the fine physical specimen that lay beneath her fingers.

"How does that feel Deke? You sure you don't want me? You have no idea what I can do for you."

"Sorry, bitch. Not really into the whole necrophilia thing. Kinda like my women alive."

"Deke when are you going to learn to behave? Of course, I like a bad boy, but even I have limits of what I'll put up with."

"Well, Thank God! Have I exceeded your limit yet? Let me know, cause I got more where that came from."

"Have it your way Deke."

Lila suddenly extended her vampire claws and ripped her razor sharp nails down his chest drawing deep rivers of blood as she went.

He gasped more from the shock, for the searing pain was not what he'd been expecting. As smart as Deke was, he had a way of ignoring how his smartass remarks could affect his situation. His stubborn pride wouldn't allow him to admit he was somewhat culpable for this turn of events; of course the truth was, Lila would have found an excuse one way or another to torture him. That was just her nature. _The nature of the beast._

"Lila, you sure have a strange idea of foreplay." He gasped.

"Deke you told me you no longer wanted me. A girl has her pride…. and her vengeance."

She then leaned in close and started licking the warm blood from his wounds, sucking the blood harder, causing the wounds to bleed even more. As her hot breath hit the gouges the pain increased and her ravenous tongue only added to his misery.

His face contorted from the pain of his injuries, but also the absurdity of his situation. How did he ever get in this position? As Lila finished _doctoring _his wounds, she drew back smiling that same confident, you are so fucked smile.

"I have a surprise for you Deke. I'm going to let you pick your favorite."

"My favorite? My favorite what?" He asked, puzzled by her obscure comment, already weary of her games.

She motioned to two guards who unlocked a door across from him and opened it revealing her prisoners. Gabrielle and Aggie were ushered in and paraded before him. All the breath in his lungs escaped as he struggled to free himself, intent on rescuing these women who had no part in this, except for their unfortunate connection to him.

"So Deke, which is your favorite? Which should be turned and have eternal life, and which will just be food for the minions? I leave the choice to you."

"Lila, I swear to God, if you harm either of them I will hunt you down in hell and rip you to shreds. **I will kill all of you."**

"Promises, promises." She smirked.

"Lila, let them go. Do what you want with me, but you leave them alone."

"Getting pretty emotional there Deke. Settle down lover. I tell you what. Would you like a little time to consider your choice? Whatever you want dear, that can all be arranged. You have until tomorrow."

She walked back up to him, putting her arm around his chest, caressing his back, delighting in his muscles, massaging the tension in his shoulders.

"Deke, you're so tense. Just relax. Everything's gonna be all right. Lila's here to make everything better."

"Bitch, you're going to die."

"Deke, you need to learn to play nice. Guess I'm gonna have to teach you some manners."

She tried to kiss him again but he struggled to keep her lips from his. She just smiled as her hand on his back once again extended her claws and ripped down his spine with more vertical stripes of pain.

"Think about it. I'll be back tomorrow." She whispered in his ear. Then to the men guarding the women, "Put them all in the dungeon, but make sure they're secure. Chain him to the wall. He's a _dangerous man_."

Deke and the women were taken to a dark, dank dungeon and Deke was manacled to the wall. Aggie stripped off his blood stained shirt and pulled up her dress and ripped her petticoat to get rags. She asked Gabrielle to bring her the bucket of water that was near the door of their cell and proceeded to gently clean his wounds as he softly moaned.

Gabrielle was confused by everything she had just witnessed but stood by trying to help, still unsure what exactly their situation was. Her mind processing more questions than she could even begin to voice.

"I don't understand. Who are these people and why are they doing this?" She asked with just a slight hint of terror in her voice.

"Not who, exactly. It's what." Deke responded.

"What?"

"Vampires. Lila's a vampire."

"You're kidding right? I mean that's just a story Bram Stoker made up, they don't really exist."

"Wish I could tell ya different, but sorry, they're real and they've infested this ranch."

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Scott had just given the horses their evening feed when he collapsed to the ground from the pain piercing his head. The vision that overwhelmed his senses filled his heart with terror. Jake rushed to his son's aid, realizing another vision had just overcome him.

"**Deke, your time is up. I will have you as mine; you have no choice in the matter."**

**A sinister raven haired woman decreed as she took a deep bite out of his exposed neck, drawing a long, sensuous drag of his blood before releasing him, then cutting her wrist and sucking in her own blood to mix with his before opening his mouth for a long exchange of fluids. Deke gagged on the blood that was expelled into his mouth and then his eyes rolled back in his head as his unconscious body fell forward, his bindings the only thing keeping him from slumping to the floor.**

Scott shuddered from the intensity of his vision and the implication. Deke was in major trouble and they had to get to him now. A quick explanation to his dad and they were mounting their horses and galloping toward the Carpenter spread.

Deke had mapped out two possible locations for the vampire's den of hostages, but had not yet determined which was the right one. It was a calculated risk which to go to first, and Jake went with his son's instincts.


	14. Escape

**Sorry this has taken so long to post. My regular reviewers all know I was gone on a two week vacation. I tried to continue work on this, but you know how that goes. Yes, I had a great vacation, but I am glad to be home. Typical, I go to Southern California to do the tourist thing and they have a record heat wave! As a Zonie I can tell you the dry heat is much preferable to the humidity, although I hear Canada is nice! Maybe I should go visit the boys to recuperate from the heatwave, nah, I'm guessin' the heat would be radiating up there too! LOL **

**Anyway, this is a critical point in the story and I wanted to make sure I had all the pieces fitting together. Looks like about seven more chapters. Several have been written, just not the next few critical ones! Hopefully, I will get all the pieces to fit and it will all make sense. Thanks so much for being patient and hanging in there. I appreciate all my readers whether you review or not. (Of course I love reviews; they make me feel all warm and fuzzy) **

Chapter Fourteen – Escape

Aggie finished cleaning Deke's wounds, again wondering how she ever ended up in this violent land. Then she reflected on her love, and all the pain and turmoil seemed worth it, for without the harshness she never would have found Jake. Even if she died now, she would have known true love. She then decided she wanted more and whatever it took she was going to have it. Perhaps the Winchester determination was already wearing off on her.

"Deke, what's the plan? When will Jake and Scott come looking for us?" Aggie inquired.

"I'm working on it. It might be another day before they come looking. Scott isn't expected back in town until tomorrow. I reckon we better just figure on getting out of here ourselves."

"Who are Jake and Scott? What's going on here?" Gabrielle asked.

"Jake's my dad and Aggie's love, and Scott's my brother." Deke responded.

"So you and Aggie aren't….?"

"No. That was just my cover. My family, we're sort of hunters except we don't hunt men or animals, we hunt supernatural beings, evil creatures, like these vampires."

"Oh."

"Sorry about the deception, guess I should have just left you alone then you wouldn't be in this mess." Deke apologized, wishing to hell he had just ignored his feelings, and left Gabrielle alone in the safety of her uncle's hotel.

He didn't have long to think those thoughts as Gabrielle leaned in and claimed her first kiss. Her lips were soft and sweet and made him forget his injuries and their predicament, as her tenderness released him from the darkness and allowed him a glimpse of another possible life.

She was in complete control of this kiss since his wrists were shackled and though he struggled to reach her, she was just beyond his grasp. He leaned into her lips and savored the desire she obviously felt for him. His eyes grew wide in wonder as the lingering kiss finally ended and she moved back gazing upon him with intense longing, and a bold look of determination.

"Don't you apologize to me, Deke…. That is your name isn't it?" She laughed.

"Well, actually it's Deke _Winchester_. Sorry, used my alias when I came to town, couldn't exactly let on. But you realize I'm trouble, I mean my life is kinda treacherous at times, uh like this."

"I've had a very safe and proper life Deke. I think I'm due for a little excitement. Aggie here seems to think you Winchesters will get us out of this little fix. Is that right? Are you gonna save me?" Gabrielle questioned.

Deke looked at the glimmer in her eyes and realized for the first time that just maybe this sweet, tender woman might be able to hold her own with him. Beneath her soft skin he suspected was an iron will. He pondered whether her question concerned saving her from these vampires or saving her from her dull and predictably safe life.

"Yeah, I'm definitely gonna save you."

"Sorry to intrude, but about that plan?" Aggie interrupted.

Deke reluctantly took his gaze off Gabrielle to focus on Aggie's insistent eyes. He could see why his dad was taken with her; she was a formidable woman, just the kind of woman to make Dad toe the line. He smiled at the image he had just formed in his mind; this was indeed going to be strange seeing his dad with a permanent lady, a sight he was going to enjoy, that is if he managed to extricate them from this peril.

His mind soon returned to the business at hand, Aggie's frown hastening his decision to enact a plan.

"Gabrielle, you happen to have a hairpin on you?"

"Actually yes, but what do you want with a hairpin?"

"Just watch and be amazed. I know a few tricks." Deke smirked as she handed him the hairpin.

He twisted the hairpin open and poked it into the lock on his left wrist. A few seconds of maneuvering and the lock busted open. One down, one to go. Another few seconds and the other wrist was also free. Gabrielle looked very impressed.

"You are a man of many talents." She exclaimed.

"You have no idea the things I can teach you."

"Good, cause I'm willing to learn." Her eyes shone as she replied.

"Not that I don't enjoy watching love blossom, but I think we need to handle this situation before we proceed to the next level in this romance. What now Deke?" Aggie again intruded.

Deke just smiled.

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"Guard, guard. Please hurry." Aggie called out.

"What's the matter?" He replied as he looked into the cell.

"She's passed out; I think she's having a seizure. Please help."

"OK, you get over there where I can keep an eye on you. She have spells like this before? She dies and her blood's poison to us, and that would be a damn shame. She looks like she'd be mighty sweet." He replied as he unlocked the cell and hesitantly stepped in, checking that Deke was still shackled to the wall and harmless.

Keeping Aggie at a comfortable distance in front of him he proceeded to check Gabrielle. As he touched her arm she turned over and smiled at him. He looked startled, but the tap on his shoulder surprised him even more as Deke gave him a fistful of hurt.

"Gaby, whatcha think of his shirt? You like the color?"

"Not particularly, but you can make anything look good." She responded with a twinkle in her eye.

"Hmmm, ya think?" Deke was smiling as he removed the shirt and tried it on for size. His muscles made the shirt a little tight in places, but it would do in a pinch.

"All right kids, can we escape now?" Aggie interrupted.

"OK, let's get 'er done. Follow me." Deke instructed as he removed the guard's gun and holster and strapped them on. He dragged the guard's body over to the shackles on the wall and chained him up, placing a gag from his torn shirt in his mouth. He turned to Gabrielle and whispered,

"So, whatcha think of the rescue so far?"

"Not bad, but shouldn't we wait 'til we're safely back in town before congratulating ourselves?"

"Gotta enjoy it while ya can." Deke smirked drawing a smile from his lady before she leaned in for another quick kiss.

"I like the way you think." She murmured.

"Don't make me play the matriarch here, I'm all for love, but shouldn't we get back to the business at hand." Aggie again intoned.

"All right, ma." Deke kidded as Aggie shot daggers through him with her fierce eyes.

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Jake and Scott were running their horses almost to the brink of exhaustion until Jake finally eased up and stopped.

"Dad, we gotta get to Deke. We can't waste any time." Scott pleaded.

"Scott, we're not going to run these horses into the ground. We'd be walking and that wouldn't help Deke any. Let's get them some water and let 'em rest. We'll get to Deke in time, we always do." Jake responded, praying the Winchester luck would hold.

They took care of their horses and rested themselves while they waited. One thing any self-respecting cowboy in the old West held true was you always took care of your horse first. Your horse could be the difference between living and dying. A man on foot could easily die out in the expanse of this country.

After the horses were rested, they mounted up and proceeded with due haste to the Carpenters.

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Deke and the ladies exited their cell and proceeded down a corridor lined with cells. He had grabbed the guard's keys and started unlocking the cells as they went, releasing the prisoners that could still stand and walk. They would have to try to come back later for the ones in worse shape, the ones whom it might already be too late for.

As he ushered them all out, he tried to keep them quiet. He still didn't know how many guards might still be at the entrance to this dungeon. He heard a familiar voice, hesitant and weak, but distinctive it its tone.

"Deke, that you?"

He turned and welcome relief flooded his mind.

"Cain. Damn, it's good to see you. We thought you were a gonner." Deke exclaimed, relieved to see his dad's good friend still alive after going missing for almost three weeks. He was a shadow of his former self, emaciated and ghostly pale, but still able to move with great difficulty, mainly because of his inherent grit and stubborn refusal to give up.

"I was beginning to think the Winchesters had fallen to this evil too. These bloodsuckers are a bad bunch. Where's the rest of the rescue party?"

"Well at the moment, this is it. Can't say when Dad and Scott will join in."

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"Cain, I need you to lead all these folks out of here once we get past the last guards. I'll keep Carpenter's men busy while you try to get them back to town."

"Deke, I think I should stay and help you. You can't take on all these vamps by yourself. You're gonna need my help." Cain reasoned.

"Look, you're the only one to lead these people out of here. They need you. I'm not gonna try to take all the vamps out. I'm just gonna guard the rear so you can escape. I know how to keep one step ahead of them. You just get everybody out, especially these two lovely ladies." Deke insisted.

Gaby and Aggie both offered up their own resistance to Deke's plan, but a firm look informed them his mind was made up and any further arguments were falling on deaf ears.

"Look ladies, if you stay with me I'm gonna be worrying about you and that just might get me killed. I know my job, let me do it. You help Cain get all these people out of here and I'll meet up with you back in town."

They continued down the corridor until they made it to the front entrance and spotted three additional guards playing poker to pass the long night.

"Read 'em and weep. Two pair, aces and eights. Anybody beat that?" The ugly guard challenged.

The other two threw in their cards and he pulled in his winnings, grinning over his good fortune.

"Well, I guess I better go relieve Hank inside." The short guard stated as he got up and headed down the corridor Deke and the others were lurking in.

As he rounded the corner just out of sight of the other guards, Deke grabbed him and thrust his head into the wall with a loud thud, knocking him unconscious from the head busting impact. Deke released his broken body to slump to the ground as the discarded piece of trash he was.

"Walt, whatcha do trip into the wall, you clumsy oaf?" The fat guard yelled.

Getting no response he rose to his feet and retraced the other's steps, finding out for himself that Deke was a formidable opponent as he joined his cohort on the floor of the dungeon.

"Man, if these guards were any dumber I could just ask them to lie down and die." Deke joked.

With the odds now stacked in their favor, Deke decided to just confront the last guard in a frontal assault. He rounded the corner and strode up to the startled guard.

"What the hell." The guard exclaimed before Deke's fist slammed into his sorry excuse for a face, a face that only a mother could love, and Deke had reason to suspect even that wasn't true in this case.

The guard fell to the floor, not offering up any resistance or fight. In a sad way, Deke was a little disappointed. His adrenalin was cursing through his body and dispatching these villains was fueling his rush. Under the circumstances a little fight would have been most welcome.

Deke looked over at the table where they had been playing cards and made mental note of the hand the ugly bastard had just won with. Was this too coincidental? They had just received word before he headed out to Valentine that Jake's good buddy Wild Bill had been shot in the back up in Deadwood while holding that very hand.

The prairie press had already been playing up the curse of that hand. Deke wondered if there could be some truth to the curse, after all he had witnessed his fair share of unexplained phenomenon. Just the fact that a man as skilled as Wild Bill was shot in the back, unprepared, might signal otherworldly factors were in play.

He motioned to the now free prisoners to file on out. There must have been a total of fifteen including Cain and the ladies. Outside the building they found two buckboards and Deke harnessed up some horses and got the escapees ready for their ride into town.

Cain climbed up on one of the buckboards and took the reins, while Aggie and Gabrielle took seat on the other as Aggie wrapped the reins around her strong hands.

"Aggie, you all right driving this rig?" Deke asked.

"Deke, sooner or later you're going to realize I too have many skills." Aggie replied with a smile to rival his own.

"All right then. Get everybody back to town and I'll see you all later." Deke gave Gabrielle a smirk and watched as the wagons rolled away from Carpenter's dungeon.


	15. Aggie's Hospitality 2006

Chapter Fifteen - Aggie's Hospitality

Texas 2006

Dean descended the stairs to the hotel lobby alone, his brother still getting dressed after he lost the coin toss to see who got the community bathroom first. His gaze fell on Gabrielle and a pang of familiarity gently nudged him. There was just something about her, a comfort, an intimacy that he had felt the instant he first saw her. He didn't understand it and he couldn't quite put it into words, almost like a serenity when he was in her presence.

She smiled warmly when she noticed him staring at her. She walked over to him, touching his arm, gently caressing it as she talked. The familiar cadence of her voice calming, just like old friends getting reacquainted.

"Did you sleep well?"

Dean paused before he answered, realizing for the first time that the answer was yes. He'd slept the best he had in a long time. He had not been on edge like he normally is, anticipating, always ready for an intruder, always sleeping with one eye partially open, watching and waiting.

"Yeah, I feel really rested. Got a good night's sleep."

Then suddenly it hit him like a ton of bricks. The Dream. _Oh, wow!_ He'd had a dream about Gabrielle last night. One of _those_ dreams. He'd always had an active imagination and it was not unusual for him to have romantic escapades in his dreams with women he found attractive, yet this dream was special. It wasn't just a wild, fun night of sex.

It was a romantic, passionate, intimate dream of him _making love_ with Gabrielle. And damn, if he didn't feel like it was real. Standing here now, looking into her eyes, it was all he could think of, those feelings that fulfilled him, a glimmer of which he had felt when he was with Cassie. Love, _real love_.

He barely had time to embrace this newfound realization and the feelings they entailed when the emotional connection was abruptly severed as the loud thumping of his brother's footsteps on the stairs intruded into his thoughts. Silently he cursed his brother's inopportune appearance.

"Morning." Gabrielle greeted the younger Winchester as he appeared in the lobby. "Was your room alright?"

"Yeah, great." Sam replied.

Dean resigned himself to putting his startling connection to Gabrielle on hold. Just one more weird occurrence for them to sort out in this strange little town.

"Rosa's Mexican Café has the best breakfast if you like chile relleno or huevo rancheros. They also make the best chorizo." Gabrielle offered.

"Really? What do ya think there Sammy, a little Mexican breakfast?" then to Gabrielle he turned and asked, "How's their coffee?"

"Best in town."

"Well, then it sounds like the place to go."

"Yeah, as long as Dean can have his coffee, he's a happy camper." Sam added.

They turned to leave and Dean couldn't resist one last jab at his brother's chipper attitude as they walked through the lobby, making sure to keep his voice low to avoid offending Gabrielle.

"Yeah Sammy, I'm the happy camper traipsing down the hall just to use the toilet."

"Way to hold a grudge there, jerk."

"Bitch…. I'm just saying next time I make sure the damn room has a bathroom."

They crossed the street and entered the quaint Mexican café, the enticing smells drifting out into the street impelling the few bystanders out and about at the early hour to consider joining the brothers in their breakfast.

After thoroughly enjoying their food and three cups of coffee they walked the short main street checking out the rest of the town. Definitely a strange, little town, no doubt about that. Everyone seemed interested in them, watching their every move and scurrying about whispering amongst themselves. Whenever the brothers would get within earshot of what they were saying, they would clam up and politely ask how their day was going.

After a half hour of being the most interesting spectacle in town without a clue as to why, they wandered back over to the hotel to see if Gabrielle would be any more forthcoming. She greeted them with a friendly smile and simply stated they needed to go visit Aggie, she was expecting them.

After receiving directions to her spread just outside town, they settled into the Impala for the drive out. They easily found Aggie's home which was the largest house in Valentine or the surrounding area.

They stepped out of the Impala and were standing on the walkway when Sam gasped, clutching his head as swirls of images bombarded his brain. Dean rushed to his brother's side, holding him steady, offering what little support he could under the circumstances. They both leaned against the Impala, Sam gaining strength and comfort from his brother's strong embrace as his vision overcame him.

The curtains on the front window of the imposing house parted slightly and curious eyes watched the brothers as Sam struggled to remain on his feet. A smile slowly appeared on the watcher's face, a slight satisfaction at the familiar sight. Seeing what she needed to see, knowing the truth now with certainty, she closed the curtains and proceeded to the front door to greet her guests.

Sam opened his eyes still squinting from the pain and hesitantly stood up to his full height with Dean still at his side firmly grasping his arm, concern showing on his face.

"Dude, you OK?"

"Yeah, this house is evil. I saw it, I felt it." Sam declared.

"Great! Not exactly the best time to inform me. I'm not packing." Dean looked at the house before him, determining to open the trunk and load up on any and all available weapons. "We should have known to be prepared, what were we thinking?"

"Wait…. No… _This_ house isn't evil."

"Uh, would you like to make up your mind there, Haley Joel? I'm beginning to feel like a yo-yo here."

"This house _was_ evil. That's what my vision showed me, but it isn't any more. I don't know Dean, it feels at peace now."

"Remind me to look for a manual for your abilities, Psychic Visions for Dummies."

"Yeah, great idea there Dean, that one's gonna work." Sam scoffed.

"So, you're sure we don't need the weapons?" Dean asked with caution.

"No. We're not in any danger. I know that much." Sam replied as he started walking toward the house.

They strode up to the main house and before they could knock on the door it was opened by a strikingly beautiful, blond woman. She offered a warm smile and reached out to grab their arms and escort them inside, one on each side of her. She introduced herself as Aggie, the town matriarch.

Her home was extravagantly appointed with elegant furniture and exuded an old-world charm, but the most striking feature was the warmth that infused her home with a coziness that defied its size. Dean immediately felt close to Aggie as if he had known her all his life. He felt like he was coming home.

Sam also felt a connection to this kind, welcoming woman. She felt like a long lost relative, a friend and an ally. As strange and weird as this all seemed, it also felt comfortable and right. Both brothers instinctively knew Aggie was a friend and evil had not existed in this house in a very long time, rather goodness lived here.

She offered them drinks and poured them some raspberry tea when they declined, noting the early hour. She graciously showed them her home and inquired about their family and line of work. She had a way of putting you at your ease and before they knew it, both of the brothers were exposing family secrets that would never have been so casually revealed if not for the inviting hospitality of their host.

"So you fight injustice and help the less fortunate? Very important job, I'd say." She stated with conviction.

"Yeah, sort of the family business. It's really all we've ever known." Dean offered.

"I wish I could meet your Dad. He sounds like an amazing man. Where is he?"

"Dad's off on a job. I'm sure he would have liked to meet you. So is your husband around? We've heard a lot about him from Gabrielle." Sam asked.

"Oh, my love." Aggie smiled as fond memories of her true love sent waves of contentment wafting through her mind before she continued. "He's out riding the range, checking out the country. He likes to keep an eye on the land, make sure everything's all right. He'll be back tomorrow night."

She looked intently into Sam's eyes and startled him with her next question.

"So how long have you had the visions?"

"Uh, how could you know about that?" Sam questioned.

"My husband's son also had the gift. He's the one who knew you would come. I saw you on the walkway, you just had a vision, didn't you?" She calmly asked.

Dean and Sam just stared at each other, wondering how much this kind lady actually knew about them before they ever entered her home.

"It was when this house was evil." Sam offered.

"Yes, a long time ago, evil dwelled in this house."

"So, what happened? What caused evil to leave?" Dean inquired.

"My ancestors. They fought evil and won. They vanquished the evil and released this town."

Dean and Sam looked at each other wondering what more there was to this story. They both had an uncanny feeling of déjà vu. This all seemed so familiar, yet Dean knew for a fact he had never been in this part of Texas. He had been all across this country and he remembered every town, city or burg he had ever set foot in and he most assuredly knew he had never before been here, yet….

Aggie warmly touched his arm again, offering him another glass of tea.

"Tell me more about yourselves, I want to know everything." She kindly imposed.

"Well, Sam here is the smart one, went to college and everything. Top of his class. Always thinking, figuring out how to overcome evil. He's your go-to man for research, if he can't find it, it don't exist." Dean responded with a pride Sam had never noticed before.

"Dean has an overdeveloped case of big brother syndrome. He's always been there for me, always protecting me. He's got the instincts of a warrior, he's fearless. Always knows how to conquer whatever we come across. Dad says he's a born hunter." Sam added.

Dean looked on his brother with mild confusion. This was so unlike Sam to be spouting his virtues to a complete stranger. Hell, normally he would be pointing out his shortcomings and riding him about his one night stands and lack of commitment.

They spent the entire day there in her warm inviting home, discussing all their triumphs and failures: revealing their hopes and dreams and exposing their worst fears and nightmares. Telling all the Winchester secrets to this kind, supportive woman.

Both felt the comfort of this woman as she mothered them. It was a welcome release from the intense pressure they had felt their entire lives. It gave them a respite from all the stress of being a Winchester engaged in the epic battle of good verses evil.

Aggie assured them they were always welcome in her town and in her home. She asked them to consider this their home, their refuge, their port in the storm of life. She held them in her thrall with her kindness and compassion. For the first time in their tumultuous lives they felt they had a safe haven from all their troubles and woes.

It occurred to Dean they had never so readily accepted someone into their inner circle. They had revealed more family secrets to this kind woman than some of their closest allies were privy to. It seemed as if they were under the spell of this Aggie, under the influence of her truth serum. Dean suddenly wondered, what was in the tea? A potion? A spell? Before he could focus in on his suspicions they drifted away, out of his consciousness, no longer a concern to him. He was again at peace.

**Thanks again for all the kind reviews. I really appreciate the support.**


	16. Dead Man's Blood

Chapter Sixteen – Dead Man's Blood

With the women, Cain and the other prisoners safely on their trek to town, Deke focused his attention back on these vampires. He was relieved to find Blaze tied up in the barn and went over to reclaim his horse. She nuzzled his shoulder as he threw his saddle on her back and fixed the bit in her mouth.

"Yeah, I'm glad to see you too."

Good thing she looked in fine shape, he would kill any man or beast that mistreated his baby. He rubbed her neck and patted her shoulder before he hefted himself into the saddle. He was glad no one was there to see him mount up, as he gasped from the pain of his sore chest.

He ran his hand across the sheath on his saddle and wrapped his fingers around the grip of his machete, sliding it partly out of its case, insuring it was still there and ready to dispatch some vampires. He was relieved to at last have the means to kill these creatures.

"All right girl, let's go take care of these vermin."

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Jake and Scott were headed down the road toward Carpenters when they heard the sound of wagons in the distance. They quickly moved off the road to the cover of the trees and waited. Jake sighed with relief when he saw the wagons rolling down the road with his friend Cain and love Aggie at the helm.

They abandoned their hiding spot and rode up to greet the approaching wagons and were met with a joyous gasp from Aggie.

"Aggie, you all right? What's happening here?" Jake questioned.

"We were captured with Deke, but he escaped and released all these prisoners." Aggie replied.

"Where is he?" Scott asked, concern over his vision fueling his inquiry.

"Deke stayed behind to cover our escape. He'll be along shortly." Cain added.

"Cain, you don't look so good. You alright?" Jake asked.

"We're all fine. Now do you suppose you should go help Deke and make sure he's all right?" Gabrielle interrupted, taking everyone by surprise with her bold statement and obvious concern over the older Winchester brother.

"Deke can handle himself, and why exactly are you so concerned for my son's welfare?"

"Shouldn't someone be concerned for his welfare?"

"Jake, meet Gabrielle, David Elkin's niece, and the object of your son's affections." Aggie added with a sly grin.

"Deke find himself another girl, huh? I thought he was supposed to be working?" Jake replied.

"Perhaps he works in the same manner as his father. And it would appear he _is_ working, after all he orchestrated the rescue of all these people. Now do you suppose _you _should start working, and perhaps back him up? Or would that be too strenuous for you?" Gaby challenged.

"You're a feisty one girl, I'll give you that. I reckon you might be able to hold your own with my boy, but you're right. We best be headin' on out. Aggie, Cain, you get these folks back to town and protect yourselves. Gaby, l look forward to making proper acquaintance with you." Jake tipped his hat before riding up alongside Aggie's buckboard and leaning down for a quick kiss then spurring his horse and taking off down the road with Scott.

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Deke rode along the road toward Carpenter's, watching for any activity that might indicate trouble was approaching. The night seemed calm and pleasant with no hint of evil or danger lurking about in the shadows. He rode far enough down the trail to insure no one was coming to check on the dungeon in the near future, before reversing his course and heading on back.

He was in the mood to kill some vamps, and would like nothing better than to ride into Carpenter's lair and dispatch all his evil cohorts, but he knew the odds were stacked against him, so for once reason outweighed his thirst for revenge. He would have to make due with the four vamps still waiting to meet his blade. Hell, four was better than nothing, and he knew the others would fall soon enough.

As he reentered the dungeon the ugly guard was just stirring. He moaned, opening his eyes just in time to see the blade swing down upon him separating his miserable head from his shoulders. Deke continued on to 'short' and 'fat' and dispatched them in much the same manner.

Deke walked down the long corridor checking the empty cells as he went until he found just what he needed. He was about to plunge his blade in, when a slight sound distracted him and he felt a presence behind him. His movements stilled as he tensed, bracing for the coming fight. He cleared his mind and focused his energy as he swung around to face his attacker, only to be standing off against his dad and brother, pulling back his blade as the realization hit that backup had arrived.

"Whoa, don't go sneakin' up on a fella like that. A step closer and I might have run you through little brother."

"Yeah, well you weren't paying close enough attention there big brother, elseways why'd you let us sneak up on you?" Scott teased, relieved to see his brother alive and appearing in fairly decent shape.

"Let's just say it's been a long two days and leave it at that."

"That a vamp?" Jake asked referring to the body Deke was preparing to skewer.

"No, just an unfortunate that didn't make it." Deke replied looking grim.

"So what are you doing?" Scott asked.

"Just a little experiment." Deke replied before turning his attention back to the dead man lying on the floor. "Sorry mister, but you're not gonna feel a thing."

Deke sliced his machete through the dead man's side, covering his blade with his blood. He then stood and walked past his concerned dad and brother and proceeded back to his original cell. They followed him in dazed silence, wondering what exactly he was intending.

The last guard was still shackled to the wall, struggling to free himself, but not possessing the Winchester knowledge that had allowed Deke to escape previously.

"Hank, was it? Now what exactly were you saying about the blood being poison to you?" Deke inquired as he stood before the vamp with his blood stained blade glistening in the dim light.

The vamp look scared but defiant, refusing to respond as Deke removed his gag, egging him on.

"Come on now, spill. What happens if you take on a dead man's blood?"

The look in the vampire's eyes told Deke what he needed to know, even as the vamp refused to answer.

"Alright then. Guess I'm just gonna have to continue my little experiment." Deke replied as he plunged the bloody blade through the vamp's chest. Normally a stab wound would inflict all the pain of a paper cut to a vamp, basically just an annoyance, yet this vamp immediately doubled over and appeared to be drugged and incapacitated.

"Good to know." Deke responded with satisfaction.

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After comparing notes and plotting their strategy Jake turned his attention to his older son's injuries, even as Deke tried to downplay them.

"Dad, I'm fine. Aggie already cleaned everything up and I'll just have a few more scars to add to my collection, nothin' to put up a ruckus about."

Jake looked at his son with suspicion and reached up to his neck, pushing his collar aside to reveal the bite mark from Lila.

"Son, if I'm not mistaken that's a vampire bite, unless you want to tell me your new girlfriend gave you that." Jake stated.

"My girlfriend? You met Gabrielle?"

"Yeah, we saw them on the road into town. She's feisty. Now, about that bite. Something we need to know son?" Jake asked, concern making his deep voice rumble even lower.

"Dad, I'm right as a 45. No exchange of fluids, just a little love nip from the bitch vamp. So what did you think of Gaby? She's something, isn't she?"

"Whoa bro, you serious about this girl? Since when do you want our opinion?" Scott asked, amused by this strange turn of events. Deke usually kept his women a secret, just his own temporary escape from his life. Theirs wasn't exactly the kind of family where you brought your girl home for Sunday dinner.

"I just wondered what you thought is all, never mind if it's gonna get your petticoat all in a wad."

"She's spirited and pretty, much too pretty for you, brother. Personally, I can't see what she'd want with a miserable cowpoke like you." Scott answered as Deke grinned at his brother's obvious jealousy.

"She's a pistol, I'll give her that and she likes you…., a lot." Jake added.

"Really? She said that?"

"Nope. She told me to get off my lazy duff and give you some backup, cause you were the hero rescuing all those people and maybe you could use some help." Jake replied.

"Huh. She does have a way about her." Deke marveled.

"Seriously brother, not that your love life ain't fascinating, but this Lila didn't force you to drink her blood? Cause I saw it. That's why we came after you. I saw her turning you." Scott offered solemnly.

"Really? Must be losing it bro, cause it didn't happen, not like that. She bit me and she threatened to turn me, but that's as far as it went. No blood cocktails for me." Deke replied.

"Well that means one thing." Jake added.

"It hasn't happened _yet_, but it will." Scott confirmed.

They all looked at each other, contemplating this revelation. Knowledge is power, but incomplete knowledge can sometimes be a bitch. They were all thinking the same thought, why couldn't Scott control these visions more? A little more information might be helpful, like when and where. That would certainly make their job easier.

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Deke had informed them of the imminent arrival of Lila. She had promised to return at dawn to hear his decision on which woman would die and which would be sentenced to eternal hell as a vampire. Dawn was less than an hour away and they had plans to enact.

As they worked preparing their weapons and laying their trap the conversation between father and son turned to more pleasant matters.

"Dad, you serious about Aggie?" Deke startled his dad with his total departure from the previous course of conversation.

"Son, you know I'll always love your mom." Jake started before his son cut him off.

"Yeah Dad I know, that's not what this is about. I mean, I'm happy for you and Aggie, really. I'm just curious; do you think this can work? You know, with our job and all. Do you actually see a future with her?" Deke searched his dad's eyes, seeking answers, seeking reassurance, seeking hope.

"Deke, all I know is I love her. She makes me feel alive again and that's been a long time coming. Son, I never thought I could feel this way about another woman, not after what I had with your mom. I don't know how this will all end, all I know is I've gotta find out. I want to give this thing a shot."

"Dad, I hope you get what all you want. Aggie's a great gal. I really want the best for both of you." Deke responded, surprised himself at his sentimentality.

"Now, what about this Gaby? How serious are _you?_" Jake prodded.

Deke just smiled, not sure how much he wanted to reveal to his dad or brother or anyone at this early stage in the game. This was all a new experience for him. He had never before felt like he felt when he was with Gaby, or even now, just thinking about her.

Man, this was weird. He had never even considered having a real relationship and here he was, thinking all kinds of impossible thoughts, hoping for all manners of changes in his life. Dreaming of something for himself for the first time in his life. _Yeah, definitely entering into the weird zone._

"Dad, I don't know. I just know I really like this girl. She's just special, you know?" Deke finally acknowledged.

"Deke's got himself a girl." Scott taunted as he walked in on the conversation.

Deke faked a punch to his kid brother's gut before grabbing him in a tight embrace. The brothers laughed as they wrestled each other, half fighting, half hugging as the love they shared obviously shone through even as they half-heartedly teased each other.

"Well at least I found me a girl. You've been spending _way_ too much time with your horse there, bro. Dad's been a might concerned." Deke teased.

"Me? You're the one who has that special place in your heart for that fine mare of yours." Scott responded.

"You are just jealous, always have been. Blaze can run your horse into the ground without even breaking a sweat."

"True. Question being, has this Gabrielle replaced Blaze as the object of your affections?"

"A man's horse is what's gonna keep him alive out here, ain't no woman ever gonna replace Deke's bond with Blaze." Jake interjected in a serious tone, before all three men cracked up laughing, relieved to have this light hearted respite to focus their thoughts away from the coming battle.

"Scott, you get the entrance all set to go?" Jake asked, returning their attention to the job at hand.

"Yeah, we're good."

"Well the party should start in less than an hour. Just wait 'til you meet this bitch, Scott. Of course, on the other hand, she can be quite charming when she isn't going down all bloody evil on you. You want me to set you up? Maybe there is a girl left in town for you there Scotty." Deke joked.

"No thanks, not really looking to take over your seconds. Besides, I think from the sound of things, she's not quite over you. Wouldn't want to divert her attention. Sounds like you really made an impression on her."

"Yeah, I'd like to make an impression. A two ton rock squishing her into the ground and sending her back to hell would be more to my liking."

"Well, I hope you get your chance there son."

"Yeah, revenge can be sweet. I'd certainly want to give her some payback for injuring your pride like that. Man, that must have hurt, having a girl whomp your ass like that." Scott again teased.

"Brother, just wait until you meet her."

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Lila and her gang of vampires approached the dungeon, ready to start their fun. This was going to be sweet she thought, envisioning all the torment she could impose on her new plaything. She had waited long enough to have Deke; she was no longer going to be denied. The thought of seeing his other women suffer, no, rather the thought of _seeing him watch_ his other women suffer, would only heighten her pleasure.

They entered the dungeon stopping at the guards stand in the front. No one was there; just the remnants of a poker game laying on the table, the winning hand of aces and eights still face up.

"You read the press lately? That there's the Dead Man's Hand, supposed to be cursed." One of the hands mentioned.

"Well, curses don't scare us. Immortality has its advantages." Lila smirked.

They proceeded into the dungeon, inadvertently playing right into the Winchesters' hands.

"Walt, Hank, where you boys at?" Lila demanded, still unaware danger lurked.

As they stood there paused, waiting for a reply, suddenly Lila noticed the red substance spilled on the floor, she knelt down and placed her fingers in the cold, wet blood.

"Damn." She exclaimed as an arrow cut through the air plunging into the chest of the last cowboy at the entrance. More arrows followed, expertly finding their targets as four more cowboys had their chests pierced.

"Hell, that's just rude!" Lila exclaimed as she laughed at the ineptitude of their attackers. "Arrows won't stop us!"

"I wouldn't be so sure about that Lila. Dead Man's Blood _is_ poison to you, ain't it?" Deke responded in a low voice as he emerged from the hallway, facing Lila with a smirk and a glint in his eyes.

As he drew back his bow taking aim on Lila, she grabbed the cowboy next to her and pulled him into the arrow as it headed straight for her bosom.

"Deke, I thought you were going to play nice now. What happened? Getting a little testy there."

"Pay attention here Lila; you kinda have that affect on people. In case you haven't noticed. People don't like you. You're known around town as a BITCH!"

Trapped in their ambush, Jake and Scott dispatched the remaining cowboys, piercing their chests with arrows before they could even begin to defend themselves. Ever the ultimate survivor, Lila ran down a passageway just to the side of the guard's stand escaping the onslaught of arrows.

Deke ran after her and was almost upon her when she slammed a cell door shut, locking herself in. He just smiled at the prison she now found herself in.

Problem was, she too was smiling. She raced to the back of the cell, moving a stone in the wall and a tunnel appeared to her left.

"See ya around, lover!" She exclaimed as she slipped through the secret passage to freedom.

"Like I told you before, **stop calling me lover!**" Deke shouted after her.

He turned to walk back to his family, arriving just as they finished cleaning up this mess. Their machetes quickly bringing the vampires' reign of terror to a close.


	17. Anticipation

Chapter Seventeen - Anticipation

After pursuing Lila back to Carpenter's ranch, the Winchesters dispatched most of the vampires, all except Carpenter himself, his twisted daughter and Rance. The Carpenters and their foreman had fled into town and Carpenter's money and power were now the determining factors in their survival. Money can buy a lot, even the lives of evil, especially when the townsfolk were used to selling their souls.

Carpenter rode into town proclaiming eternal life and all the money they would ever need if they would just rise up and vanquish the Winchesters. With an offer like that, he had no trouble raising an army to protect them.

Scott scouted out the town and rode back to Jake and Deke with the dire information: they had at least fifteen gunmen to face if they wanted to get to Carpenter, who was holed up at the bank.

"Well Scott, that's only five a piece." Deke grinned, shifting his weight to lessen the pain of his still sore chest.

"Yeah, but you aren't exactly up to your normal high standards there Deke." Scott replied.

"Yeah, but the good news is my lower level is still a hell of a lot better than those rent a gunfighters."

"Glad to see your confidence wasn't damaged by being captured and tortured by a lady." Scott couldn't resist ribbing his brother on his recent troubles.

"Brother, that was no lady!"

"Still dude, a girl?"

"Nah, refer to her by her proper name, the Hellbitch."

"Well bro, you always did go for the wild ones."

"OK boys; let's just figure out our next move." Jake cut in knowing his boys could continue on like this 'til sundown.

They decided to sneak into town at night, rallying any possible allies before facing Carpenter and his men at dawn. Deke wanted to head into town immediately, concerned for Gaby and Aggie's safety, knowing full well how Lila still wanted to hurt him and further knowing the best way to inflict pain on him was to hurt the women.

Jake convinced him to be patient; Scott had insured Gaby and Aggie were safely tucked away in a hiding spot from Carpenter. No need forcing their hand. Morning would come soon enough.

As soon as darkness overtook the town, they quietly rode in, keeping their presence concealed. Their search for allies started at the hotel, since saving Gabrielle should ingratiate them to her uncle, David Elkins. He offered them food and lodging for the night and agreed to arm himself and fight with them against the tyranny that had held his town hostage for too long. Unfortunately, he knew of no other soul in town who would join them in their stand against Carpenter.

Jake's old friend Cain would also take up arms beside them, but he could not be expected to offer up much fight, since he was still recuperating from his considerable blood loss and injuries at the hands of these vampires.

Five against eighteen was not what any betting man would consider good odds, but then again, you have to consider the men doing the fighting. The Winchesters had always fought against long odds and were still alive, fighting the good fight against evil.

Jake considered all their training and experience would sway the scales somewhat in their favor, but the most important element was their fortuitous good luck and ability to always persevere even in the most desperate of circumstances. He saw no reason to believe any different in this fight against Carpenter. After all, they were the good guys, and the good guys always win.

Mr. Elkins and Gabrielle were somewhat disheartened that no other townsfolk would fight to save their town, although the Winchesters were hardly surprised by that. They had seen evil incapacitate good on too many occasions. Most folks hope someone else will take care of the problem, the rest just don't care.

As Jake had so often reminded them, "Folks need time to work themselves up to doing the right thing. They need reassurance they'll not be alone in the battle. Justice and righteousness doesn't just happen. Folks have to convince themselves to do the honorable thing."

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Jake spent the first night in a long time, resting comfortably in Aggie's loving arms. Just lying there with her breathing softly beside him brought the peace he had not known in far too many years. Whatever it took to vanquish Carpenter and his band of cutthroats would be done, so he could once again savor the love of this good woman. He was not about to let this second chance elude him. Happiness waited after one more battle.

Deke took this opportunity to quietly spend time with this stunning woman, Gabrielle. Her beauty was a given, but her inner strength and courage in the face of danger had impressed Deke immensely. Here was a woman that might be able to hold her own against his own considerable personality. He admired her guts and her fortitude, and he was determined to get to know her better.

Scott spent his time preparing the weapons they would need in this encounter. He used the last of the dead man's blood they had collected to coat the arrows that could bring down these vampires. He cleaned all the weapons and double-checked their operation, not so much because it was needed since regular maintenance was the Winchester creed, but more to occupy his mind and fill his time.

He could hardly begrudge the happiness and good fortune of either his brother or dad, but he vowed on the next job, he got to take the lead and cut his brother off at the pass, staking out the beautiful women before Deke had any opportunity.

He had ended up the last one at this party and all the available good women were already spoken for. Damn, it seemed his brother always had the luck with women, not that he hadn't had his fair share of lovely ladies, just not so much recently.

The night stretched on and the silence was overpowering. The sounds of the battle would be loud enough come morning, so they all settled in for a long, peaceful night.

As they separated to tend to their own individual needs and concerns, Gabrielle gave Deke a tender, but needful kiss and looked longingly into his eyes. He took her hand and led her to one of the secluded bedrooms so they could spend some quiet time alone and undisturbed.

The passion in her eyes was inviting and he wondered if he had misinterpreted her intentions. He hesitated, not wanting to take this further than she was comfortable with.

She leaned in and whispered in his ear, "Deke, you could die tomorrow. I can't stand the thought of losing you, I just found you."

While facing off against evil under overwhelming odds was a new, terrifying experience for Gabrielle, it was old news for Deke. He could hardly remember the number of nights he had waited in the dark wondering if he would survive the coming morning's battle.

"I'm a tough one to kill. I don't plan on leaving you now that I've found you. Don't worry, we always win." He comforted her.

"I don't want to miss out on the chance to be with you. I need you. I want you to love me tonight."

While that thought had crossed his mind, he hadn't been sure if she too wanted it, if she was ready for it, after all they had only known each other a short time. Her bold statement now indicated the field was wide-open and inviting.

"Have you done that before?"

"No. I love you. It's not wrong." She whispered, ignoring the mores of the day and the restrictions they imposed.

For the first time in his life, Deke really considered his next move, _carefully_. He thought through all the possible scenarios and considered the ramifications of them all before reluctantly speaking.

"Gaby, I'm not going to die tomorrow. I've got too much to live for. I love you, but I just want to hold you tonight. We have the rest of our lives, no need rushing things."

Deke knew this was the first time in his life he had turned down two beautiful, willing women in one week. Lila, now that was an easy decision. Gabrielle? Man, that was tough. He wanted her, wanted her more than he could ever remember wanting a woman. _Damn, what was he thinking?_

He gazed into her eyes, her face so sweet yet inviting, longing for him, desiring to be with him in the closest manner possible and he cursed his newfound respectability. Yet in his heart, he knew this was the right decision, his _only_ decision. He knew because he loved her too much to make any other choice.

Gabrielle deserved more than a one night stand. If he were to die tomorrow, then that is exactly what this would become. For the first time in his life he considered that _he _wanted more, that he _deserved _more. He was planning on having this woman in his life for a long time. They both deserved the chance at something more. With a sly smile he remembered what he had told Lila: that the anticipation would be so worth the wait. _Oh yeah!_

His decision just steeled his resolve. He was going to kick some serious vampire butt in the morning and he was _not _going to die. He now had too much to live for.

He gently held Gaby's face in his hands, savoring her milky soft skin beneath his rough worker's hands, and gave her a passionate, intense kiss, a kiss to fulfill all the desires they felt for each other. They lay down on the bed, her body pressed tightly into his side, her hand gently caressing his bruised and battered chest, her soft touch easing the pain of his wounds, and he felt the simple comfort of just being with her.

As they lay there, feeling the warmth of each other, he started to talk with her. He wanted to know everything about her: her hopes and dreams, her hurts and regrets. And as she told him hers, he reciprocated for the first time in his life and let her share his.

As she snuggled into his side he relaxed and reveled in the peaceful tranquility of this calm before the storm. _God, it felt good just to have her by his side._

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As the morning light filtered into the room, Deke stirred from the most restful sleep he'd had in a long time, perhaps ever. He smiled as he reflected on the intimacy of the night before. They had felt as one as they drifted off to sleep still entwined in their loving embrace.

Gabrielle woke from the steady stare she felt from her love. Deke was silently watching her as she slept, envisioning the love he knew they would soon share. She had amazed him last night with her kindness and empathy as he shared his fears and wounds, shared himself for the first time in his life. Gabrielle had seen into his inner soul and had not looked away.

It surprised him that he had been so forthcoming. He should have realized from the way she mesmerized him that first time he saw her that she was a special lady and he was fortunate to have her in his life. He would do whatever it took to come back to the safety of her arms after this battle. Of that, he was sure.

"Morning. You look rested." She murmured.

"Yeah, ready to face the day. Gonna kill me some vamps and come back to my lady." Deke grinned as he leaned in for a morning kiss.

"You promise?"

"I guarantee it. Remember, no worrying. We Winchesters know what we're doing. You just keep the home fires burning; I'll be back in your arms tonight."

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**Thanks to all my readers and my faithful reviewers. I have really enjoyed writing this story and your enjoyment has been an added bonus. Special thanks to: IheartPadalecki, pandora jazz, LoveJeter, Pippen3, Littlewing, kokomocalifornia, and lifesafemaledog for their encouragement.**

**I believe this will be my first story to reach 100 reviews! Thank you!**


	18. Gunfight

**This chapter and the next one are set in 1876, and then we move back to 2006 for the final two chapters. Sorry this took so long to post, I actually have written all the chapters now, just fine tuning the rest. I wanted to make sure everything was covered and all the pieces fit. I hope you enjoy. Thanks so much for taking the time to read my story.**

Chapter Eighteen – Gunfight

The air was filled with tension and anticipation for the coming fight as Deke descended the stairs to the lobby of the hotel to join the others. Jake and Scott had gathered there with Cain and David Elkins to discuss the impending battle.

"Morning Glory." Scott teased as his brother rolled his eyes at him. "You and Gaby have a memorable night?" Scott continued on, forgetting her uncle was standing beside him.

"Get your mind out of the gutter, Scott. Gabrielle's a respectable woman, ain't nothin' happening there." Deke's expression a familiar one, the one of exasperation at how childish and immature his little brother could sometimes be.

David Elkins released an audible sigh, one more worry off his mind, _for now_. Scott remembered his manners then and extracted his boot from his mouth.

"Sorry Mr. Elkins, just trying to relieve some of the tension. No harm meant." Scott offered.

"None taken. So when do you think they'll strike?" Elkins inquired. He was willing to fight to reclaim his town but he had limited, make that no, experience in fighting period, let alone fighting vampires and gunslingers.

"They'll be coming shortly. Cain you stay close with Elkins and both of you stay off the main street. I need you as lookouts and long range cover. You've got our rifles, so get on up on the roof and shoot anything with a gun drawn that's not a Winchester." Jake declared.

Jake and his sons had been testing the new Winchester Model 76 rifle for Jake's Uncle Oliver, but had decided to go with the tried and true Model 73. After all, its durable steel construction had never failed them and it _was_ known as "The Gun That Won the West." He hoped it would continue its fine tradition and help them win this battle.

They had found it very fortuitous in their work to be related to the owner of the Winchester Repeating Arms Company and Uncle Ollie had also greatly benefited by having them do extensive field tests on his newest models. After all, new models need to be thoroughly tested and who else could put them through such a grueling trial run?

After sending Cain and Elkins off to the roof, Jake went to confer with his sons. The unease in the room was releasing an electricity into the air. Even though they had fought many battles and God willing would fight many more, they would be lying to say the calm before the storm wasn't nerve wracking.

Deke took in a deep breath of air filling his lungs and concentrating his mind on the job at hand, releasing the air slowly, steadying his nerves. All thoughts of Gabrielle and the possibility of another life were cast aside with the butterflies that rumbled in his gut. He absently drew his gun, feeling the weight in his hand, checking the balance before giving it a once over and slipping it back into his holster.

He wasn't experiencing fear exactly, more the heightened senses of a man on the brink of something: victory, defeat, life, death. It was always the same. Every fiber of his being was coming alive and all his instincts and senses were amplified as every act became crucial. One wrong move and it could all be over.

It was a familiar feeling, yet it still held him enthralled, chomping at the bit to just get out there and engage the enemy. In his mind the worst part was waiting for the action to start. Once he was in the battle, his training and reflexes took over and carried him through. Thank God for Jake's belief in training and preparedness.

Now was not the time to be regretting not spending the time to practice and perfect your fighting skills. No, Jake had seen to it that his sons were ready for times like this. This was their life, what they knew best, their purpose in living all coming together in a perfect scenario. Evil was going down, good would once more triumph.

"Hey Scott, remember that time in Tombstone when that witch had you down for the count?" Deke reminisced.

"As I recall, you were the one who needed my rescuing."

"Naw, I had it under control. You were the one choking from her wrath. Good thing I was there to save you."

"Yeah, you saved _me _after I saved _you_."

"Boys, I believe I saved both of you that night. Can we please not have a repeat of that little adventure? Aggie and I made plans for tonight. Think you boys could insure nothing ruins them?" Jake requested.

"Yes Sir." Deke and Scott replied in unison.

"Dad, you got the colt?" Deke asked.

"Yeah, right here."

"You gonna use it?" Scott questioned.

"Only as a last resort. Those bullets are valuable; when they're gone that's it. That gun is only to be used when all else fails." Jake instructed as his sons nodded in agreement.

"Too bad ol' Sam Colt didn't make more of those special bullets." Scott noted.

"The story goes he made as many as he could on that one night. After that, the spell or whatever it was broke. Whatever enabled him to make that gun in the first place never fell into place again. We should just be thankful we have possession of such a weapon. There are some evil sons of bitches that would love to get their hands on that gun." Jake responded.

"Sure does put the responsibility on us. Don't it Dad?" Deke added.

"Fighting evil always carries a certain responsibility, but yeah, that gun just ups the ante." Jake agreed.

Scott handed out the arrows soaked in dead man's blood that would stop and sicken the Carpenters and their foreman and they slung bows across their backs. They checked their guns and supply of ammo before strapping their machetes in their sheaths to their sides. Armed and ready for battle they took a moment, glancing into each other's eyes, knowing this could possibly be their last time together.

"All right, let's kill us some vampires." Deke proclaimed.

"Too bad all these wanna-be gunfighters won't ever see their rewards." Scott added.

"Man should know what side to fight for. A man gets the reward he deserves. I'd say these bastards deserve to die." Jake stated.

Soft footsteps approached from the stairway and Gaby appeared in the lobby, hoping for one last glimpse of Deke before he headed off into the fight. Aggie was by her side, the two women finding they had more in common that either of them would have dreamed of just a week earlier.

Jake stepped aside for a brief word with Aggie and Deke took his chance for one last moment with Gaby. He took her in his arms for a tight embrace, proclaiming all his love and passion with one lingering kiss, a kiss to hold them both over until tonight.

"You got the gun I gave you? You keep hidden until this is all over, you hear?"

"Yes sir." Gaby replied with a wink, a wink that told him he wasn't really in charge, but she would humor him this one time. "Don't you do anything foolish, like getting yourself shot, you hear?" She added with tender concern.

"I think I've got enough bullet holes to do me."

"I don't want any more scars."

"Yes, ma'am." He smiled.

And with one last look he turned and walked out to join his family for this showdown.

Jake walked down the boardwalk on the right side of the street and his two sons walked side by side down the walkway on the left towards the bank. The street was quiet with the solemn reverence of a town just waiting to explode into battle.

"Carpenter, your time's up." Jake yelled.

The shades on the windows were still drawn and silence met them as they stood waiting. Suddenly gunfire erupted all around them as all hell broke loose. Jake ducked behind a horse trough and returned fire.

Deke and Scott dove for cover and joined in the battle. Gunmen on the roof had them pinned down, unable to move from the safety of their temporary refuge. Wood from the building splintered covering them with debris as the onslaught of bullets pelted the area.

Suddenly a scream pierced the air as one of the gunmen holding them in their spot fell from his high perch, crashing onto the dirt street in front of the hotel. Deke looked up to see Cain taking aim on the other sniper on the roof across from him, easily taking the second man out with his steady hand.

Deke smiled at Cain's expertise with a rifle, remembering long sessions as his dad and his good friend schooled him on the finer points of the Winchester repeating rifle. Uncle Ollie certainly knew how to design a gun and Cain certainly knew how to use it.

As Cain and Elkins cleared the roofs of snipers, Deke and Scott moved from their position to check out the rest of the town. They split up, each ducking into the back alleys, looking for gunmen.

Meanwhile, Jake had moved off the street and was entering the saloon, having spotted two gunfighters slip in during the skirmish outside. The saloon appeared empty until one appeared to the side, gun drawn ready to plow him down. Jake turned and fired, his bullet penetrating his gut before the man could fire his own gun, the gunman's finger finally finding the trigger with the reflex of a dead man, shooting the floor as he fell.

A reflection in the mirror at the end of the bar revealed the other gunman creeping along the back side of the bar toward the door. He was hoping to ambush this Winchester and gain his reward, unfortunately he only gained the reward Jake was willing to give him: a six foot plot on boot hill.

Deke spied a gunman slinking along the back of the mercantile and stealthily crept up on him. He was almost upon him when he paused and softly whispered "boo" to the surprised young man who whirled around gun drawn only to be cut down by Deke's bullet. The youth of the gunman disturbed Deke, but this was a harsh land and if you fought on the side of evil, you died with evil. The West was not a place for second chances.

Scott was tracking his own gunfighter and was almost in a position to drop him when a bullet grazed his left arm. He spun around and fired one deadly shot into the perpetrator's heart. The original gunfighter he had been tracking heard the commotion and ducked into the livery.

Scott followed and walked steadily between the horses stabled there. The horses were nervously stomping about, sensing danger and snorting their disapproval of the invasion into their sanctuary. He ran his hand alongside the rump of one horse and knelt down looking between the legs until he spotted the gunman at the far end.

He was slowly moving towards the man when suddenly the man opened fire repeatedly into the air, waving a blanket at the skittish horses that broke free of their stalls and stampeded out the stable doors. Scott leaped to the side away from the horses' hooves and landed face first in a mound of hay.

He heard the gunman's approach and rolled to the side taking aim and firing before his opponent had a chance. One more for boot hill.

Deke had crept back to the front of the street looking for more of Carpenter's paid assassins when he heard the stampeding horses barreling down the main street of town. Just as he saw the horses fast approaching, he noticed a four year old boy, standing in the middle of the street playing with a wheel rim and stick. Why a child so young had gotten loose and encroached into this deadly scene was a question for another time.

Deke reacted without thinking or considering any other option; he simply raced for the boy. He grabbed the boy up, but had no time to reach the safety of the walkway. The horses were upon them so he threw down flat with the street, his own body shielding the boy, holding him tightly as the horses jumped over them. When the dust settled the crying boy was shaken but uninjured. His frantic mother came running to tear him from Deke's arms and usher him back into the safety of the building.

Jake witnessed Deke's heroic actions and marveled again at the bravery and protectiveness of his older son. With little time for reflection, Jake offered Deke cover fire as three more gunman took aim against him. Deke drew his own gun, firing repeatedly as he made his way across the street to meet up with his dad. Between Jake and Deke's fire, they managed to kill two of the gunmen, the other retreating back into the alley.

"Nice work there son."

"What the hell is a kid like that doing out on a day like this?"

"Probably like my sons, always looking for trouble."

"Well, at least we had a dad who taught us how to handle it."

Another shot rang out against them and the wood building behind them splintered and rained down wood fragments.

"You see 'em?" Jake asked.

"Over there, two of 'em." Deke answered nodding towards the side of the hotel. They couldn't quite get a shot off from the position they were in. They watched the men move along until they were just to the front of the building. As they slowly passed by the front window, shots rang out and the two men dropped dead in their tracks.

"What the hell? Scott's down at the other end of town. Who shot them?" Deke questioned.

"I'll give you two guesses, seeing as how they were shot from inside the hotel." Jake answered.

Deke's eyes grew wide as the realization sunk in.

"Damn those women. I told Gaby to stay hidden."

"I figure they've got minds of their own and you and me son might as well get used to the idea."

"I knew I shouldn't be giving her no gun." Deke grinned, all the while considering how impressive this lady of his truly was.

"I think it's about time for Carpenter to join the party." Jake stated.

"Yeah, no need him playing the shy host. He started up this fracas; he might as well join in."

They moved out again towards the bank down the street. At the back of the bank Deke hefted himself up to the railing on the second floor. One of the back windows was opened and he saw an opportunity to sneak inside and surprise Carpenter and his henchmen assigned to protect him.

Jake covered his son as he made his way inside the building, then turned and proceeded to the back door. He pulled out his tools and quickly picked the lock, entering on the first floor. Voices from deep inside the bank confirmed Carpenter was still present.

Jake maneuvered through the hallway until he was just at the main section of the bank and saw Carpenter pacing nervously back and forth in front of the vault.

"How many of them have been killed?" He asked one of his returning gunfighters.

"Them or us?"

"Them, you idiot! How many are left?"

"Well…, all of them."

"Eighteen gunfighters against three Winchesters and they're all still alive? Are you going to let them take over _my_ town?"

"Appears like."

"Well get back out there and kill some of them or don't come back here again. Someone's going to die here and if it's not them, then it sure as hell is gonna be you. You understand idiot?"

Deke pulled his bow from his back and placed an arrow in the string. Taking aim he released the arrow, Carpenter turned and attentively listened to the hiss of the arrow as it approached its target, hitting him in the chest bringing about the sinister vamps downfall.

"Damn it." Carpenter proclaimed as Deke appeared on the balcony overlooking the bank lobby.

"Guess your time is up, Carpenter." Deke declared as he smirked at the doomed vamp.

"Deke, I knew you were a formidable man. Too bad you have such misplaced devotion to good. You would have made a great ally." Carpenter praised as he slowly sank to his knees.

Jake appeared behind him and drew and fired on one of the gunfighters there with Carpenter to provide protection as Deke took out the other.

"Maybe you should have spent the money and gotten some gunfighters worth their salt. No time to be pinching pennies, considering your unlife is on the line. Huh, Carpenter?" Jake chided.

"Well, the labor pool has been a little depleted lately. A man does the best he can with what's available."

"Where's your bitch daughter?" Deke yelled.

"Lila will avenge me. She'll tear your heart out and show it to you as you die."

"Yeah, I bet you're real proud of your little darling, huh?" Jake asked, not waiting for an answer as his blade connected with Carpenter's neck.


	19. Final Conflict

**Ok gang, this is a little present for you. This is the longest chapter I have ever written and I was tempted to split it into two. Could have left a major cliffhanger and made you wait for the resolution, but I didn't. So if you like cliffhangers just stop reading halfway through and stew for awhile before you read the rest, but if you don't like those nasty nail biting cliffies then you're welcome! **

**This is the last chapter with Jake, Deke and Scott. (I'm tearing up here, gonna miss the guys!) Final two chapters are Dean and Sam in 2006. I gotta tell you, I have loved writing this story and I hope you have enjoyed it half as much as I have. Thanks so much for all your wonderful support. **

Chapter Nineteen – Final Conflict

Jake and Deke exited the bank and split up again. Jake headed down the street and Deke headed back up the street toward the hotel. He had a quick detour on his agenda. A little matter he needed to take care of.

With the roofs cleared of snipers and Cain still on lookout, Elkins left his post and was returning to the hotel. He was confidently walking down the walkway just a mere ten feet from the door, his rifle on the ready just in case as he checked the street for gunmen. Deke was fast approaching from the opposite direction and saw Elkins heading to the safety of the lobby.

David Elkins was finally getting the hang of this fighting and prided himself on being a factor in releasing his town from the death grip of Carpenter. He was beginning to feel a certain confidence in his abilities when he suddenly felt a thick, warm liquid running down the front of his shirt. He grasped his hands to his chest and looked puzzled at the red substance covering them. A momentary gasp and he fell to the ground, dead from a bullet hole through his heart.

"Daddy, noooooo!" Davy, his eight year old son yelled, coming out of his hiding place inside the hotel to run to his father's still form.

Deke took aim on the gunman that had cut down Elkins and placed one fatal shot between his eyes, feeling no satisfaction in avenging the first of the good guys gunned down. Elkins was a good man. Gabrielle now had her first warrior to mourn. He shook off his thoughts and sprang into action.

Davy was clutching his dad's dead body, his fists tightly wrapped in his shirt, pulling upwards, willing his dad to move once more, tears streaming down his face as Deke quickly grabbed the boy, dragging him back inside to the safety of the hotel.

"Kid, I'm sorry, but you gotta stay put here. You understand? Your dad wouldn't want you getting hurt. You gotta be the man now. Believe me, I know how tough this is gonna be, but you've got to stay strong. Your dad was a brave man and I know you can be brave too. Just remember that, all right? You've got to be brave for your dad."

Tears stained the young boy's face as he silently nodded his head. Deke recognized the determination forming in his hurt eyes, a look too reminiscent of his own reaction to losing his mom all those years ago. The kid faced a tough road, but he knew a steadfast resolve would enable him to carry onward.

Gabrielle appeared and locked eyes with Deke, her eyes filled with a knowing sadness, as he handed Davy off to her. After a quick reassuring pat through the young boy's mussed, brown hair that was long past due for a trim, he left him with his thoughts and worries and headed back into battle after uttering his final instructions to Gabrielle.

"Gaby, you and Davy get hid. You take care of each other now, you hear?"

"Take care of yourself, Deke." She whispered as he left them behind.

Jake spotted the sheriff just outside the jail. He turned the corner and checked the street for more gunmen, unsure how many still remained. He saw one gunman lurking by the Mexican café and was just taking aim when a shot rang out and the man dropped. He turned around to greet his approaching son.

"Nice shot Scott."

"I did have the best teacher. Where's Deke?"

"He went to check up on the ladies at the hotel, seems they just can't stay out of this fight, took out two gunmen who made the mistake of walking by the front window."

Scott grinned at the prospect of what lay ahead for his brother and his dad. They had fallen for formidable women and their futures looked mighty interesting.

"Huh, well I guess you'll both have your hands full with those two."

"Don't I know it. Sometimes I wonder if the drifter life still doesn't hold a certain appeal." Jake responded, smiling like the devil.

"Yeah, right!" Scott grinned at his dad's feeble attempt to distance himself from Aggie. He knew they were just words, he could tell from the first time he laid eyes on Jake with Aggie back at their camp that he was a goner.

'Wanna teach that sheriff a lesson about following the law?" Scott asked.

"Never could abide a dishonest lawman. Demons I get, people are the ones that can't follow the rules."

"Yeah, guess he lost his moral compass."

"He's about to lose a lot more than that." Jake declared.

Jake moved out and crept up behind the sheriff. The sheriff felt a presence and turned quickly to face Jake's gun. He smiled, his hand raised up away from his gun in a defenseless motion.

"Jake, guess you boys are taking over this town, huh? You know, I haven't drawn down against any of you. I've stayed out of this fight."

"And why is that Sheriff? Could it be that you're a yellowbelly? Or you trying to say your conscious just kicked in and you're ready to repent your evil ways?"

"Look, I did what I did to survive. No one could stand up to Carpenter until you boys arrived. Let's let bygones be bygones."

"Sure, Sheriff." Jake agreed as he holstered his gun.

The sheriff smiled, waiting for Jake to let down his guard, before going for his gun. With lightning quickness Jake drew and fired, the shocked look on the sheriff's face faded as the realization hit he was done for.

"Guess you reconsidered again." Jake spoke.

Scott came up and the men exchanged glances.

"Let's head on back to Deke and find out what happened to this Lila and Rance." Jake directed.

After checking out the northern end of town and not encountering any more gunmen, Deke turned and retreated to the hotel. As he approached he saw a gun sticking out the doorway. He circled around and came in the back way.

"Gaby, I thought I told you to stay hid?" Deke chastised as he slipped through the hotel's back door.

"I'm not one to hide in a closet when evil is out and about trying to kill the people I care about." She replied with a firm voice betrayed by the twinkle in her eyes as she dropped the gun to her side.

"Just stay inside…. Please?"

"Since you put it so nicely."

Deke turned to head on back into the street to meet up with his family. He gave her one final glance as he opened the back door to leave and a shot rang out. He staggered back grasping at his chest where his heart beats, the expression on his face total shock as he turned and gave his love one last look. Gaby gasped as she witnessed the love of her life fall face first onto the wood floor.

"Deke!" She screamed as she raced to his side.

"I told you I wanted him alive. He's no fun if he's dead." Lila moaned, glaring at the young gunman who had spoiled her fun. Lila entered the hotel smirking at the still body of her former plaything.

Gaby tenderly brushed her cheek against Deke's face, her hands frantically brushing through his short brown hair, tears flowing as she whispered goodbye to her love. All the moments to come extinguished with one deadly shot. The pain in her soul aching for one more kiss, one last embrace, her body trembling at the prospect of never having him love her.

She raised up her gun and fired into Lila's chest.

"Ouch!" Lila laughed. "Sorry darling, bullets don't hurt me."

Gaby then turned her gun on the young gunman who had killed her Deke and fired again. He slumped to the floor dead.

"Well, bullets hurt him, don't they?" Gaby stated as her tears stilled, her determination steeling her will.

"What difference? He was beginning to annoy me anyways."

Gaby dropped her gun and turned back to Deke, cradling his still form in her arms.

The close gunfire had drawn Aggie from the next room where she had been watching the street outside. As she entered the room her heart shattered at the anguish she saw on Gabrielle's face, an anguish she knew would soon possess Jake. An anguish that hit her like a shot to her own heart, her pain immeasurable at seeing this good man die, and fully understanding the devastation Gaby felt.

"Welcome to the party Aggie. When's your man gonna stop by?" Lila leered.

"Jake will kill you. You're dead, Lila." Aggie swore, anger and sorrow filling her heart.

"Oh, big surprise Aggie, I am dead. I'm what they call the undead. Care to join me?"

Just then Rance appeared behind Lila. She turned to greet him as he presented the bad news.

"Lila, your father's dead. Jake decapitated him."

"Well, it looks like all your lives have taken on a new despair. You will all pay for this. Vengeance is a bitch and her name is Lila. You hear me bitch?" She yelled at Aggie, ready to inflict all her wrath onto these Winchesters and rip them apart bit by bit, her blood lust for revenge enflamed.

Just when Gabrielle thought her entire world had ended and all hope was lost, she startled. The still form of her Deke moved ever so slightly beneath her hands. She grasped at his chest where the bullet had ripped through his heart and was shocked to not see or feel any blood.

The hole was evident right where his heart was. She placed her hand on the spot and felt something hard. Her fingers felt through his shirt until she could feel all the edges of the item and then her heart fluttered, once again steadily beating, her hopes once more alive, her dreams once more possible. She reached into his pocket and removed his ranger badge, a deep indent where the bullet had mangled the metal, stopping the slug from ever entering his body.

She murmured a silent prayer to the heavens above for this second chance. A second chance if they could manage to overcome Lila.

She leaned in and whispered to her love, hoping he was conscious enough to heed her warning.

"Deke play dead. Lila thinks you're dead."

"What are you saying there Gaby? Last words to your great love? Think he can hear you in hell? That's where he is, you know, where all misguided hunters go. After all, he is a murderer. How many has he killed in his lifetime?"

Lila reached down and grabbed Gabrielle's wrist pulling her to her feet. She gasped from the tight grasp Lila exerted and the sharp tear of her nails as her tender flesh bled. Deke had come to and it was all he could do to not spring up to confront Lila, yet the pain in his chest still had him silently suffering. The bullet may not have penetrated his flesh, but the force of the impact was considerable and he still found it difficult to breathe.

Rance was the one to inadvertently expose their deception, his contempt for this 'traitor' lived on even in Deke's 'death'. It should hardly be a surprise that he would kick a dead man when he was, uh dead. Deke took the first kick to his ribs without flinching, but then Rance proceeded to kick harder and as his boot headed for his face, he knew the gig was up.

He grabbed the foreman's boot and threw him off balance as he struggled to overtake these vamps. Coming from a prone position and being injured with two fierce vampires as opponents made the outcome of this little fracas a virtual certainty.

After a few heroic efforts, Deke was subdued and Lila gleefully proceeded with her chosen method of torment. Rance tied him to the pillar in the lobby of the hotel and Lila gloated once more at her victory.

"Deke I told you, you'd be one of us. Pretty boy should listen to momma. You're gonna be my boy for all eternity."

"Look Lila, you're never gonna make it out of this town. Jake and Scott are still out there, you best be looking to make a deal. Trade us for your freedom."

"Do I look like a fool? They're hunters; they'd never let us leave this place. Sorry Deke, poor attempt to save these lovely ladies of yours. Now, let me tell you what the plan is." Lila was enjoying this more than any of her previous attempts to torture him. "First I'm going to turn you and then when the blood lust is driving you insane, you're going to feed on these women. Of course, we need Jake here to witness this. Won't that make Daddy proud? Watching his own son devour his love?"

"Lila, you're dreaming. That's _never _gonna happen."

"Deke, your time is up. I will have you as mine; you have no choice in the matter."

Lila pulled the collar of his shirt down ogling his neck, the previous bite wound still red and nasty looking. Lila licked her lips as the lusty, virile taste of his blood resurfaced in her memory. Once he was turned he would be hers, all earthly concerns forgotten, as he ascended onto a higher plane.

She smiled at him, confident in her victory, reveling in the fear she saw momentarily cross his face as his bravado slipped, as he realized his fate was one bite away, as he realized Scott's vision had foreseen this. The fear lingered a mere few anxious seconds before his smartass demeanor returned.

"Game's over Lila. Prepare to die." He smirked.

She heard the arrow whizzing through the air and ducked behind the pillar Deke was tied to. The arrow hit the pillar and fell broken to the floor. Rance was not so fortunate, Scott's arrow connected squarely through the foreman's chest. Rance staggered and dropped to his knees, the dead man's blood spreading its poison.

Lila grabbed Deke's head in a tight grip, one snap of his neck and the hunter would be dead.

"Move and I kill him."

"Lila is it? You don't want to do that." Jake calmly replied.

"You're right. Doesn't mean I won't though. In fact, Deke's fate isn't looking too stellar right about now. Drop your arrows and machetes or he dies."

"No problem. Scott, do as she says." Jake instructed.

They dropped their weapons to the floor and stepped to the side. Lila relaxed as the means to kill her slipped from the hunters' hands. She smiled then, she had won out over worthy opponents. She turned her hold on Deke into another caress, her hands once more treasuring her prize.

She then determined she would turn all these Winchesters, one by one. Her family had been destroyed and she needed to rebuild. Her brother Luther would be returning soon and she wanted to present him with some powerful allies to lessen the pain of losing the rest of their group. Who better to have united by your side in the next battle, but hunters as skilled as these men?

Before she bestowed the gift of eternal life to them, she intended to make their human selves suffer for killing her father, a little mortal torment to ease her own considerable pain and suffering. There was nothing like witnessing the despair of mortals to make you feel more powerful, more alive. She was feeling very forlorn over the fates of her father and evil family; several days of torture should help to ease her grief.

She turned her attention back to her prize. Deke would be the first to be turned; she had been salivating for his taste for too long, she could no longer postpone her pleasure.

"Deke, say goodbye to your mortal family and hello to your immortal one. Welcome home." She started for his neck when she heard a gun cock. She looked up to see Jake pointing an old colt revolver at her.

"You really are annoying, not to mention stupid. What part of guns can't hurt me don't you understand?" She wisecracked.

"Sweetheart, this is no ordinary gun."

"Yeah, I can see that. Pretty gun, nice engraving. Now you want to put it down before I really get mad?"

"Step away from my son, bitch."

"Or what? Hello! Guns… can't… hurt… me."

"Let me introduce you to _this _gun. Samuel Colt made this gun just for evil like you."

"Oh yeah? What _was_ that saying, 'God made all men, Samuel Colt made them equal'? Sorry, that just doesn't cut it with me." Lila released her hold on Deke and stepped forward toward Jake.

"Well then, let's just say 'Samuel Colt made you dead.'" Jake grinned as he pulled the trigger.

The bullet rotated through the air until it met its target, penetrating Lila's chest right between her ample bosoms. Lightning flashed around her and the black hole glowed bright, as flashing lights illuminated the skeleton beneath her skin. She sank to her knees as the lightning expanded until the void sucked all her life energy away and her broken hull of a body appeared frozen in time. With one final flash of lightning she fell forward, destroyed by Samuel Colt's amazing gun.

"Son, you all right?"

"Never better. Untie me."

Scott went to his brother's aid, cutting the ropes with his bowie knife.

"What did I tell you brother? Don't go doubting my visions, I told you Lila was going to try to turn you." Scott gloated.

"Yeah, I guess vision boy really knows his stuff, that is everything but when and where." Deke laughed.

"Just remember, we saved your ass."

"All right, I'll give you that. You saved my ass this time, next time….we'll just have to see who saves who. What happened to your arm there bro? Get a little too close to a bullet or something?"

"Just a nick, no big deal."

Deke shook off the numbness in his arms and hands from being so tightly bond and quietly walked to the machetes lying on the floor. He tightly wrapped his hand around the grip of one and released it from its sheath. He calmly walked to Rance, still kneeling on the floor in his drugged state.

"Rance, you best go join the rest of your brethren." Deke declared as the blade separated his head from his body. His cocky grin once more in place as he savored their victory.

As the gunfire stilled and the tenseness of the morning evaporated the townsfolk once more emerged from their hiding places. Whispering amongst themselves, breathing free air once more, no longer encumbered with Carpenter's wrath, they milled out into the street looking over the destruction and spoils of war. The last of the vampires were dead, the battle was officially over, and the Winchesters were once more victorious.

Deke looked into the relieved eyes of Gabrielle, Davy by her side clutching to the last of his relatives. He walked over to them and brought them close in a warm embrace, the three of them finding comfort in each other.

Aggie smiled with satisfaction at this final outcome, thankful Deke had once more postponed his date with the grim reaper, and ecstatic Jake was safe and unharmed and she could lie with him tonight with no worries or cares. All the Winchesters were safe and unharmed and her town was once more free. Suddenly the West did not appear to be the harsh, unforgiving land she had always bore witness to. It now seemed to hold promise of a new and better life.

Cain finally managed to hobble back down to the lobby of the hotel, using his rifle to steady himself. His right leg dragging with a bandana wrapped around his thigh, blood showing through the impromptu bandage.

"Cain, you manage to get yourself shot there?" Jake inquired.

"Yeah, guess I still had some blood left to spare after those vampires had their way with me. Think I best be sitting down now." He staggered as he fumbled for the chair, Scott came to his aid to help steady him.

"Hang on there Cain; I'll go fetch the doc." Scott instructed.

Jake smiled at the scene before him. Against unimaginable odds the Winchesters had once more fought and won and come out intact. Elkins death was regrettable, but considering the number they had fought against, they had survived this battle in remarkable shape. They had emerged victorious one more time. They were becoming accustomed to winning over long odds. Perhaps, the fates were on their side in this battle against all things evil.

Aggie pressed her body against his side and he wrapped his arms around his salvation. Man, it was good to be alive.

------------------------------------------------------------------

The funeral for David Elkins was an event to be seen. The entire town came out in respect for the one man who had given his life to release this town. Gabrielle decided to stay on in the town and run the hotel, her entire family now gone except for her young cousin Davy. She needed to be there to support him as he dealt with his father's passing.

The Elkins became one more family torn apart by evil finding their revenge and purpose the only way they could, as a new hunter took his place on the field of battle. With the determination of a warrior, Davy proclaimed his vendetta against evil and his intent to vanquish it.

"I'm gonna grow up and kill evil every chance I get." He vowed.

"You need to train and learn. I'll help you. Let me show you what you need to know." Deke responded, knowing he could guide the young hunter in his vengeance, just as Jake and Cain and others before had trained and prepared previous generations of hunters.

Davy silently nodded. His determination steeling his resolve, he now knew the extent of the evil in the world and he was going to fight it with everything he had. He would make evil pay for taking his father and ruining his hopes of a normal life.

"I want you to show me how to kill these vampires. If Luther ever sets foot back in this town, I'll kill him. He can go to hell with the rest of his family."

--------------------------------------------

Exactly one week after the big showdown, Deke and Gaby finally found their passion realized in the first of many memorable nights. Davy had finally settled down and was comfortable sleeping alone in his own room, his new determination placing him on the fast road to becoming a man.

Gabrielle came to Deke in his room, the wait no longer bearable.

"You know, I'm not going to stop hunting. This thing, whatever it is we have, it's not going to be a normal relationship. I mean, don't expect the white picket fence." Deke cautioned.

"Deke, I think I left normal a long time ago, about the time I found out vampires really exist. I told you, I've led a normal and respectable, but immensely boring life until now. I'm ready to live another life now. I'm ready to give this a go. No promises, no commitments, just see where this leads us. I love you, that's all I need to know."

Deke smiled in amazement at this beautiful woman, this determined lady.

"I never said no promises or commitments; I just said no ordinary life. I love you Gaby, and I want you in my life. If you're willing to take me when you can, then I'm yours."

"Sounds like the best offer I've had in……oh, I don't know…., how about forever?"

They dissolved into each others arms, their desire unveiling a new wondrous world for them both. A world filled with love, passion and commitment. Perhaps not the traditional life of ordinary citizens of the times, but an amazing life full of promise and excitement.

Jake and Aggie had already forged their own lifelong commitment. Jake could not stop hunting, and would not stop chasing the Demon that killed his wife and tore apart his previous life; still they came to an understanding. Aggie would wait for him, however long it took. She had already waited her entire life to find a love such as theirs, she was not about to give it up now.

Aggie and Gaby now held even more in common. They were women in waiting. Their men were powerful and dedicated warriors with a tough job to do. Their job took them down the dusty trails of the old West for too many nights, fighting the evil good men refused to acknowledge, but when the jobs temporarily waned or the fight became too hard, both men knew where they could find comfort.

A little town known as Valentine, Texas became their home, their refuge, their port in the storm of life. Whenever the need arose, they always knew they would find loving arms and a tender embrace back in the town that became known throughout the West as the Home of Romance.

----------------------------------------

Three weeks after the fight, duty called and the Winchester men set out to rid a neighboring town of vengeful spirits that had sprung up after the desecration of ancient Indian burial grounds. The job had gone smoothly and the spirits were once more laid to rest.

They were headed to the livery after a hard day to pick up their horses so they could be back in Valentine by morning when Scott collapsed to the ground gasping as the piercing pain threatened to split his head in two. Deke rushed to his side, trying to offer what little support he could to his suffering brother. Scott just shuddered from the intensity of his vision.

"**Look, we still got the colt; we still have the one bullet left. We just have to start over, all right? We already found the Demon once…." The words echoed through his thoughts and the pictures in his mind only served to confuse him. The voice was so familiar, but the clothes and machinery they were contained in were most definitely from the distant future. Nothing like that existed in their time. All three of the men sitting in the menacing black contraption that was roaring down a dark road, with trees flashing by the side indicating an extreme speed, were strikingly familiar.**

After several moments of intense pain the vision vanished, replaced by countless questions.

"Scott, we need to head out somewhere? Did you get a location?" Jake asked, concerned another job was pressing them into service again so soon after the completion of this job.

"No. No need us rushing out to take on this job."

"What was it? What'cha see bro?" Deke prodded.

"I'm not sure. I'm not sure you're gonna believe me on this one. I'm not sure I believe it."

TBC

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**Farewell Deke, Jake and Scott, I'll miss ya! So what do you guys think? Did I send the boys off in a respectable manner? You gonna miss them? Any and all comments greatly appreciated. Thanks for reading! Remember two more chapters to go.**


	20. Revelation 2006

Chapter Twenty - Revelation

Texas 2006

The Winchester brothers could not have picked a more suitable town to spend a leisurely two days resting and recharging their energy. While they had been on edge and close to exhaustion when they arrived, they were now leaving with a bright outlook and a renewed vigor for their hunts. The only negative they saw was their reluctance to leave this tranquil town and the people therein.

As strange and yes, "weird" as this town had initially appeared, it had grown on the brothers and as they prepared to depart they felt a certain nostalgia about leaving this particular town in their rearview mirrors. Of all the towns that had come and gone in their odyssey across this nation, none had held the same appeal.

Although he was loathe to admit it, Dean mused that while he had felt some sadness previously at leaving some of the people they had helped and befriended he had never before felt regret at leaving a town. It was strange how this town almost did seem to take on a personality of its own. Perhaps Sam had been right about the town wanting them to come.

Whatever the situation, the Winchesters were incapable of settling down anywhere in the near future so there was no other choice than to pack up their stuff and again hit the open road. Evil was still waiting for them around the next bend, and they would hardly want to disappoint.

Gabrielle seemed genuinely sad to have them check out and when they went to pay, had refused their money.

"No need for that. Aggie settled up your account. She gave me a present for you too, but she said she didn't want you opening it in town. She doesn't like emotional scenes."

She handed them an old wooden box with brass handles on each end and a latch that could be padlocked if desired.

Dean didn't quite know what to say, he wasn't used to receiving presents period, but especially not something this old and probably significant to this town's matriarch. He wasn't sure exactly why she would feel the need to bestow a present on them, yet somehow he knew to just accept it and not question her intent. If he had learned anything these last few days, it was to sometimes just accept things for what they were.

"You tell Aggie thanks for us, will ya?" Dean remarked still touched by the generosity and charm of this lady and her town.

"Aggie is a very interesting lady. How long has she owned this town anyway?" Sam inquired.

"Aggie's family has owned this town since 1876. This was a corrupt town before she and Jake cleared out the vermin and restored the law."

"You mean her ancestors cleaned up the town. Don't you?" Dean asked with a puzzled look.

"Oh, of course, her family is what I meant. She's fourth generation. They really saved this town." Gabrielle replied with a sweet smile.

"So how long has she and Jake been married." Sam asked.

"I can't say exactly, they've been together a long time though. He loves that woman like no one's business. He can't stand to be apart from her more than a few nights. Happiest couple I've ever known."

"Well, I guess we better get movin'. You take care." Dean smiled and considered he had never so quickly felt such a connection as he did with this sweet girl Gabrielle. She seemed so familiar to him like he had known her a very long time. Good thing he was leaving town or he might be tempted to corrupt her, and he had a feeling this Jake fella might just object to that.

Gabrielle took hold of his arm with a tender touch, the look on her face one of great sadness at bidding farewell to a dear friend. Tears welled in her eyes as she bravely smiled at him.

"You take care of yourself, Dean Winchester. You come back and see us again, you hear?" She whispered as she brushed her fingers against his face and tenderly kissed him, softly touching his lips, pausing for just a moment. She took a short breath and her voice seemed to catch as she turned to Sam. "See you around, Sam."

"Take care." Sam waved good-bye as he slid his long frame back into shotgun position as Dean slid in behind the wheel. Sam silently wondered just what exactly his big brother had done to warrant such a display of affection.

They slowly drove through town past the saloon with its hitching post out front with three horses tied up, past the livery with its blacksmith stoking up his fire to shoe another horse and on out of town into the vast expanse of the Texas open range.

They drove quietly without conversation or heavy metal music blaring, just the quiet contemplation of another way of life, a simpler time when the hustle and bustle of modern living didn't invade and overcome all aspects of one's life. They reflected on a way of life where lazy days of leisure intersected with good, honest hard work, and simple conversations with old friends filled your day to overflowing with the simplicity of it all.

An hour later they came upon the next town and Dean pulled into the first gas station he saw to refill the Impala. After he pumped his gas he went into the quickie mart to pay, and pick up a few munchies to sidetrack his junk food withdrawal which was just now hitting him.

"Not too many towns along this stretch of highway are there?" He struck up a conversation with the attendant, a grizzled old man who had probably spent his life in this desolate country.

"Nope. You best make sure you have a full tank or you could end up stranded in a lot of Texas. We're the only town this side of Austin for two hours." He replied.

"Well, except for Valentine." Dean answered as he pulled out his MasterCard to pay.

"Valentine? What you talkin' about Mister?"

"You know, Valentine, Texas. Home of Romance. Nice little town about an hour back." Dean replied.

"Mister I don't know what you're smokin' but Valentine don't exist no more."

"What? Come on now. We were just there."

"Look Mister. I don't like playing none of these games. You pay for your stuff and you get out."

"Look this isn't a game. Just tell me what you know about Valentine. Would ya please?" Dean sincerely looked into the man's eyes and hoped he would consent to explain his disturbing statement.

Sam had gotten bored and decided to pick up a few of his own snacks since Dean always seemed to get the least healthy choice that existed. He walked through the door just in time to hear the part about Valentine not existing. His ears perked up and he joined in the conversation.

"Sir really, we don't want any trouble, we're just confused. Please tell us what you know."

The old man studied both of the young strangers and determined neither appeared stoned or drunk. He considered maybe they were just misinformed and proceeded to set them straight.

"Valentine was a notorious town back in the late 1870's. Old man Carpenter owned the town and I guess he corrupted all the town's officials and pretty much ran things how he wanted. Bad goings on back then, murders, robberies, just general mayhem and no one did anything about it until them Winchesters came to town."

Sam cleared his throat and barely got the word out as his brother echoed him.

"Winchesters?" They asked in unison as their eyes locked.

"Yeah, three of 'em. Jake was the pappy and his two sons Deke and Scott."

Dean and Sam just looked at each other, not knowing whether this was just another extension of the weirdness they had left behind or the beginning of a new weirdness that would continue from here.

"And what exactly did these fellas do?" Dean asked.

"Well they cleaned up the town. Got rid of all the bad guys and made it into a nice little town again." The old man replied.

"So why isn't the town there any more?" Dean prodded with an insistent tone.

"Well, ten years after they cleaned it all up, Jake came back to claim his bride, the lovely Aggie, a former working girl if you know what I mean." The old coot laughed at the thought.

"Aggie? His bride was named Aggie?" Dean questioned as the weirdness factor headed off the charts.

"That's what I said, Aggie. You got a hearing problem there, young fella?"

"Uh, no….. Anyway, so what happened?" Dean stammered.

"Well they got married, but those Winchesters had enemies and on their wedding night, they crept into town and burned it to the ground, killing Jake and his new bride. The whole town burned down and was never rebuilt. Jake's sons buried their dad and rode away."

"Anything else you know about these Winchesters? What happened to them afterwards?" Sam asked.

"Nope. That's the legend though. The story of Valentine, Texas." The old man finished and turned with a shrug to go back to stocking his jerky on the strips that hung by the front counter.

Dean picked up his purchases and slowly walked with his brother out the door.

"We need to get back there now and figure this out." He stated.

"What do you think we saw? Ghosts? I mean we spent two nights in a town full of ghosts and we didn't even realize it?" Sam asked.

"Man, I don't know. But…. what other explanation is there? I mean Jake and Aggie? Not exactly common names. I knew there was something up with that town. And then me having that weird dream about Gabrielle."

"What weird dream about Gabrielle? You never mentioned a dream."

"Uh, didn't I?"

"No."

"Yeah, all right, I had a dream, you know."

"I know what? What are you saying Dean?"

"I had a dream about Gabrielle and ….. me. You know, one of _those _dreams."

"And that would be unusual because….?"

"Cause it wasn't just….sex, it was making love. Man, it felt real, it was like a memory and then the way she looked at me after, it was like she saw it too." Dean confessed, all the feelings and weirdness of this situation beginning to rattle even the stalwart hunter.

"Oh, wow!" Sam exclaimed as the significance of this revelation hit him. Dean having sex dreams was one thing, but _this_ was entirely out of character. Suddenly Gabrielle's special farewell to his brother made more sense. "So what is going on here?"

"I don't know, but I'm sure as hell gonna find out." Dean threw his bag in the back seat and started the engine.

"Come on. You coming or what?" He yelled at his brother as Sam lagged behind.

Dean peeled out of the gas station back down the long road to Valentine.

TBC

**Special thanks to all the reviewers who shared their time and thoughts with me. Just a reminder to all readers, even if you read this story long after it was written, I would still love to hear from you if you enjoyed it. Reviews are our only payment for spending hours writing our stories. (for me it is a slow, painstaking process! LOL) **

**Therefore any comments you would like to share or just a thanks, I liked it, or geez, what were you thinking, would help me know my efforts were not in vain.**

**One final chapter to go and again, thanks so much for taking the time to read my story. Time is our most precious commodity! Oh, to have that 30 hour day!**


	21. Resolution 2006

Chapter Twenty-one - Resolution

The hour drive took just over thirty minutes as Dean pushed the limits of the Impala's engine. They drove in silence, with neither able to think of anything relevant to say, until they were just on the crest overlooking the town. As they mounted the rise and saw the town lying where it had always been they let out a collective sigh.

Maybe the old coot was just pulling their legs. Maybe _he _was the one who was crazy.

'Whew, I knew that old coot was crazy. I mean, what other explanation is there?" Dean questioned, at last putting voice to their concerns as relief washed over him.

"Yeah, the old guy sure had us going there, didn't he?" Sam added as nervous laughter erupted in his high pitched cackle.

"I may have to pound some respect into that old fart when we head on back." Dean threatened.

"It's probably just their way of joking around, kinda like a snipe hunt."

"Yeah? Well I'm gonna take that old man on one of _our _ hunts. Then we'll see who's laughing."

They settled back into the comfort of their drive and let the anxiety of the last half hour dissipate, chuckling to themselves at their gullible response to that crazy old fool. Then again, they were the fools who raced back seventy miles just to see what they already knew to be true. Man, with all their experience you'd think they would be the last ones to fall for such a prank.

Dean slowed the car to a respectable speed and proceeded towards town. Off in the distance they saw three riders on horseback heading in. As the riders approached, they were motioned to stop by one rider who broke away and headed in their direction.

Just as their lives appeared to be on an even keel again, the Winchester brothers' descent into the weird twilight zone threatened to reclaim them. The lone rider pulled up to greet them as they exited the car and stood frozen in time, gazing at the rider with their mouths hanging open. In total shock and bewilderment, Dean and Sam stared at the familiar face of their own father; ten years older than the last they had seen him.

"Boys, you better hold up right there." The rider stated.

"Ah, are you _Jake_?" Sam asked as Dean looked startled at his brother.

"Jake Winchester and you'd be?"

"Sam Winchester."

"Dean Winchester."

The brothers responded still in awe, collectively wondering if this week could get any weirder.

"Pleasure. Aggie, give you the box?" Jake asked.

"Yeah, but we don't understand. I mean…." Dean questioned.

"Sons, glad to meet you, but I don't have a lot of time. I just want to tell you that good can triumph. Just keep faith. I gotta get back to Aggie now; if I missed the finish she'd kill me, not to mention I'd go crazy without her for ten years."

"Ten years?" Sam questioned.

"Let's just say boys, if you have any questions after you check out the box, I'll be here, ten years from now. All right then. Wish I could have met your dad. You tell him I said howdy." Jake turned and spurred his horse and was off in an instant.

He galloped into town and they saw him fly off his horse and grab Aggie in a tight, passionate embrace. Just as the dust settled from his arrival, the sun seemed to set with a flash and then there was nothing. No Jake, no Aggie, no town, vanished into thin air. Sam looked at Dean, who in turn looked at Sam, both just dazed from this weird turn of events.

Dean reached for his duffle bag on the back seat and grabbed out his EMF detector and turned it on. Silence, no indication of supernatural activity. He wanted to kick himself for not turning it on previously, but strangely enough as weird as all this had seemed, it had never occurred to him. He pondered the possible reasons for that as he silently went to retrieve the wooden box Aggie had given them.

"What do you think is in it?" Sam asked.

"I don't know. I guess we'll just have to open it and see." Dean whispered, still confounded by the course of the day's events.

He carefully placed the box on the trunk of the Impala and slowly opened the lid revealing a leather bound journal. He gently opened the time worn cover and tenderly turned the frayed pages: page upon page of old cursive writing with bizarre drawings of supernatural creatures and notations of exorcisms and spells. A journal just like their dad's only this one dating to the 1860's. He handed the journal to Sam and continued through the box.

Next he found a stack of old tintype photographs neatly secured in a green velvet pouch. He opened the pouch, took out the photos and gazed into his own eyes. The spitting image of himself was all decked out in cowboy regalia staring intently through the years. Handwritten on the back in lovely cursive was Deke Winchester. The next photo was of his brother all decked out in the clothes of a western cowboy with the words Scott Winchester written on the back.

Dean looked at his brother and the old treasured photos and didn't know what to say. What could anyone say at a time like this? The next photo was a mirror image of their dad and dear sweet Aggie, a slightly younger Aggie than had greeted them so warmly just the day before, yet this Aggie was posed on her wedding day with her new husband and the inscription on the back stated: Jake and Aggie Winchester, Wedding Day, December 31, 1886.

There were more photos from that day: Deke and Scott smiling with their dad Jake, Aggie with Gabrielle as her attendant, a group picture of all the Winchesters and the beautiful bride and her friends, and then Deke and Gabrielle snuggled up close and looking like more than friends. A lasting remembrance of a gloriously happy day for the early Winchesters, before evil came that night to destroy their happiness.

The last picture was out of line with the others as it showed a close up of a colt revolver, a unique gun with an angled barrel and Latin phrase engraved on its side. _The gun._ The special gun Samuel Colt had made back in 1835.

Dean just stared at the picture in disbelief. Man, this was beyond weird. The next item he saw was a handwritten letter. He carefully unfolded the paper and started to read:

**_We knew you would come when the time was right. That is why we have waited all these years. Evil has always existed, but you can fight and win. We managed to all those years ago. Fight the battle against evil, but don't forget to live your life. You can find peace in your lifetime. _**

**_We originally had ten bullets when the gun came into our possession. We used three. Five were left in the case with the gun, but we kept two bullets separate. We knew you would someday need them and come for them. This is your destiny, use them well._**

Dean opened a small suede pouch that was the last item left in the box and removed two bullets. He opened his hand to his brother to show him their treasure.

"So what do you make of all this?" Sam asked.

"Dude, I don't know." Dean whispered, distracted in thought.

They stood silently considering all that had happened and what it could all possibly mean. Dean finally broke the silence.

"So, you suppose the town's like Brigadoon? To keep them safe they only appear every ten years?"

"You've watched Brigadoon? That's a musical!" Sam looked shocked.

Dean fumbled to repair his reputation. "It happened to be on one time when I was recovering from an injury. I didn't have a remote and I wasn't exactly hopping around, all right?" He paused to see if his brother was buying his lame excuse before he continued, "Anyways, you suppose that's what we've got here?"

"I don't know, maybe." Sam responded. "You know Brigadoon _was_ based on the mythology of the German town Germelshausen that supposedly disappeared and reappeared later. There have been indications that spells could produce such an effect."

Dean just looked at his brother with amazement.

"How the hell do you remember this stuff? If you focused all that brain power into more important pursuits, like impressing the ladies, you could be _awesome_. No wonder you never get any action."

"Dean focus, would ya? Do you seriously think we just stumbled into this town? I told you, the town wanted us to come."

'Yeah, I know, but why? I mean….why do these Winchesters look like us? I mean are they relatives…, er ancestors?"

"I don't know if we'll ever know for sure, maybe even reincarnation?"

"Reincarn…, whatever, no man, that's just _too _weird."

"Still, you did have that dream about Gabrielle. How you gonna explain that?"

"Maybe my latent psychic abilities finally kicked in." Dean grinned at last finding something humorous in their situation, fondly remembering his memorable dream and the feelings it instilled in him. _Man, that Deke dude was one lucky guy!_

"Yeah? Well let me know when the blinding headaches start."

"Yeah, about that… Guess I'm not really wanting those ghost whisperer abilities; think I'll stick with the good old-fashioned hit 'em with the rock salt approach. I'll leave the psychic wonder stuff to geek boy." Dean flashed his patented cocky grin.

"Yeah, well I wish my psychic abilities could explain this one."

"Yeah, me too. Well, I don't know about you, but I'm thinking we gotta be back here in ten years. I'm gonna have some questions for Jake."

"You content to wait ten years for answers?"

"What other options we got Samantha? You gonna twitch your nose and make the whole damn town reappear?"

"Ha, Ha, very funny. No, obviously _that's_ not gonna happen. We might find some answers in this journal."

"Yeah, but if it's like Dad's journal it's not gonna give us a whole lot of family history aside from encounters with evil beings."

"Well, we might get lucky. Might get some info, and we _can_ do some research and see what we dig up."

"Research? I'm guessin' that's your area of expertise there college boy. Let me know what you find out."

"Figures. You know Dean,… you know how to use the computer just like me."

"Yeah, I do. I just don't. Not when I've got my trusty geek boy to handle that little matter. Just let me know what the final verdict is. I'm not up for much of this theorizing, too many possibilities here and too few answers, so again I say, I'm talking to Jake in ten years."

The End

bjxmas September 2006

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_Weird Weird, a._

_1913 Webster_

_1. Of or pertaining to fate; concerned with **destiny**._

_1913 Webster_

_2. Of or pertaining to witchcraft; caused by, or suggesting,_

_magical influence; **supernatural**; unearthly; wild; as, a_

_weird appearance, look, sound, etc._

_1913 Webster_

**So what do you think? Did it work? Please let me know. Reviews always appreciated! **

**All right, all you silent lurkers, I see you out there. I see the hits, last chance to let me know what you think. Any and all comments welcome. Don't be shy, let it rip! **

**Ok, enough with the arm-twisting, thanks for reading.**


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